'It is significant' — Trump's latest trade target threatens Windsor copper fabricator

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A Windsor metal fabricator who pivoted to copper products to survive punishing U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum during President Donald Trump’s first term fears his company could be hit again.

“Now that there’s this threat of tariffs on copper, it is a little concerning, because we do supply finished materials to the U.S.,” said Ryan Jordan, president of RJ Steel & Copper Co.

His business, which sends nearly 20 per cent of its copper products to American clients, would face new challenges if Trump follows through on his latest trade threat of a proposed 50 per cent tariff on all copper imports.

“It’s not a massive portion of our business, but it is significant,” Jordan told the Star.

His company, located on Walker Road, has worked with copper throughout its 25-year history.

In 2018, following U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, Jordan said he restructured operations. The business began placing greater emphasis on copper fabrication, which now accounts for between 30 to 40 per cent of its output.

“It was a good lesson for us to see how things can change very quickly with a new president,” said Jordan.

“This time around, I am going to take it as serious as I did in the past with the steel and aluminum. In my opinion, typically when there’s a threat of something, it seems to happen.

During his first term, and in response to the negative impact on the U.S. economy, Trump ended his 2018-imposed tariffs on foreign imports of steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) in June 2019.

“Maybe there’s a threat for 90 days of a tariff and it ends up being 30 days, but I think at least some of it is going to come to fruition, which will affect us in some way, shape, or form,” said Jordan.

RJ Copper & Steel’s products include both commercial and heritage metalwork, from structural steel to ornamental copper.

Just this week, the company helped replace a historic cross atop the steeple of St. John’s Anglican Church in Sandwich Town — a structure dating back more than 160 years.

The original cross was damaged during a tornado that swept through Windsor’s west-end neighbourhood on Aug. 24, 2023.

Jordan said the new cross was fabricated with a structural aluminum frame and copper cladding, and weighs roughly 150 pounds.

If similar projects arise in the future, however, he said tariffs could impact how those jobs are priced.

The company has already started notifying its clients of possible surcharges in new project quotes to account for the threat of more tariffs. 

“If we put a price together for a customer … I have to explain to them, you know, this is based on today’s price,” said Jordan. “It may be different in three months.”

Trump’s proposed levy on copper imports would mark the fourth broad-based metals levy introduced since the beginning of his second term.

The U.S. president announced his plans to take aim at copper imports at a cabinet meeting in Washington Tuesday. 

It marks only the latest ratcheting up of the ongoing trade war, which has already sent ripple effects through the Canadian economy, with a border city like Windsor being particularly hard-hit.

Canada’s copper trade with the U.S. is substantial. In 2023, the country exported nearly $5 billion of copper and copper-based products to the U.S. and imported about $3 billion, according to Natural Resources Canada.

Copper is a key component in a range of goods, including electronics, infrastructure, vehicles, and industrial machinery.

Trump’s latest announcement follows on the heels of increases to existing tariffs on steel and aluminum, which were doubled from 25 to 50 per cent. 

It is currently unclear when or how any levies on copper imports might roll out.

Jordan said the uncertainty has prompted his company to put the brakes on plans to move business online.

“Our next step was to invest more funds into e-commerce and to sell our product via our website,” said Jordan.

“In fact, I was speaking with my web designer last week about wanting to expand that because it’s so much easier to sell products worldwide, or even nationally via e-commerce. That’s an expensive endeavor — it’s around $15,000 to do it right.

“Am I going to invest that kind of money if I can’t ship to the U.S.? I would say no. I’m not going to invest that kind of money if I can’t make a profit on this. So that’s one of the concerns moving forward.

“We will see how this all plays out.”

mmazak@postmedia.com