Canacero and CSPA, the national Mexican and Canadian steelmakers’ associations, have issued a statement calling for the elimination of the existing US Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs, Kallanish learns from a press release.

Mexico, Canada and the US are again actively involved in the renegotiation of the NAFTA agreement. The associations say that the agreement should involve the cancellation of steel and aluminium trade barriers.

"A new modernised Nafta will bring great benefits to Mexico, Canada and the United States, and would allow business partners the opportunity to continue the integration of the regional market, "said Máximo Vedoya, president of Canacero. "A Nafta with tariffs on steel and aluminium substantially contradicts the purpose principal of Nafta."

The US and Mexico have already come to an agreement in principle regarding overall trade, but have not yet discussed the cancellation of steel and aluminium tariffs.

“We look forward to working with our respective governments to as a renegotiated trilateral agreement advances to ensure that trade restrictions within the region are eliminated in a responsible manner, while unfair trade outside the Nafta region is addressed effectively” the associations write. “We appreciate the important work that our governments have done in the renegotiation of Nafta up to this point and we will continue to be actively involved as the work to decisively solve the problem of Section 232.”

The associations calculate that a total 88% of all steel exports in North America are made within the region. This makes free, open and fair trade within North America fundamental to the success of the steel producers and consumers in Nafta, they claim.