BROWN: Trump's reckless tariffs an insult to Brampton's steel, aluminum workers

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We have not and will never back down. This community was built by the hands of our steel and aluminum workers, the resilience of our manufacturing industry and the trust that our closest ally, the United States, would honour its partnerships. That trust has been tested over the past few weeks until it was finally shattered today. I stand with the Brampton businesses affected by these unnecessary tariffs and the people who work in that sector.

President Donald Trump’s reckless 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum are insults to every worker who has poured their blood, sweat and tears into making North America the strongest manufacturing hub in the world. Brampton’s manufacturing businesses help power this economy. Our aluminum and metal companies, such as Matalco, Almag, and Brannon Steel, forge the backbone of the auto and housing sectors. And yet Washington has chosen to punish us, to kneecap our industries and to throw thousands of jobs into uncertainty — all under the flimsy excuse of “national security.”

Let’s be clear: This isn’t about security. Canada is not the enemy. But this move treats us like one. It punishes the very people who have spent generations forging a strong, cross-border economy. It undercuts livelihoods, strains our industries and leaves thousands wondering why an ally would turn its back on them.

Thirty-seven years ago, at the signing ceremony for the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, president Ronald Reagan said: “We recognize that we are truly the people of the New World with a common bond distinct on the globe. North Americans are bound in our vision, in our optimism and in our commitment to moving forward together. We settled this continent to change the world and this agreement proves we mean to keep on changing it for the better.”

Today, that vision is being trampled. Trump, who keeps a portrait of the former president hanging beside the Resolute Desk, seems to have forgotten the principles his predecessor stood for. Reagan, a favourite amongst Republicans, ran on the promise of strengthening co-operation with North America; of leading, not dividing. Yet with the stroke of a pen, Trump has turned his back on those ideals, throwing decades of partnership into question.

The tariffs set by Trump put millions of dollars worth of steel and aluminum from Brampton at risk and with it the livelihoods of Bramptonians who have spent their lives building this community up and helping support our nation and allies.

Sixty-six aluminum- and metal-manufacturing businesses in Brampton depend on trade with the United States. Four thousand jobs — 4,000 hardworking men and women who wake up every morning, punch in and do their part to keep North America’s supply chain moving — are now hanging in the balance. These are not faceless corporations. These are local businesses, union workers and families who have built their lives on the promise that fair trade means shared prosperity.

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These are not just numbers on a balance sheet. These are families. These are companies we all know and based in Brampton. These are generations of steelworkers who take pride in their craft. The factories that and the people who have helped shape our city for decades are now facing an uncertain future and not because of competition or market forces, but because of a political decision made in Washington with no regard for the people it will harm — both Canadians and Americans.

And yet in one reckless move, that promise has been broken. Brampton’s workers did not ask for this fight, but now they are forced to bear the cost of a decision made in an office thousands of miles away, by a president who has never set foot in our factories, never seen the pride in our work, never understood the stakes of his actions.

The U.S. was built on partnership, on trust, on the idea that when North America works together, we all thrive. Trump may have forgotten that, but have U.S. leaders? Have U.S. businesses? Do they truly believe that an attack on their closest trading partner will come without consequences? Brampton is watching. Canada is watching. Americans are watching. And history will remember those who stood for fairness and those who turned their back on it.