September 8, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly says Quebec’s aluminum industry is poised to receive “hundreds of millions of dollars” from Ottawa’s $5-billion support fund aimed at sectors hit by steep U.S. tariffs.
Nearly all of Canada’s aluminum production is based in Quebec. Joly said Monday the government has not yet finalized how the fund will be divided but confirmed major producers — including Alcoa, Rio Tinto, and Alouette — are in line for significant support.
“The Quebec aluminum sector will get its fair share,” Joly told reporters in Montreal. “With the projects that are being discussed right now … it’s hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Canadian aluminum and steel exports currently face 50 per cent tariffs in the U.S., Canada’s largest customer for the metal.
Jean Simard, president of the Aluminum Association of Canada, said the support is crucial to keep the sector competitive internationally. While Canadian producers have turned to Europe and Asia to offset losses, he stressed that the U.S. remains the dominant market.
“We produced 3.3 million tonnes of metal in 2024, our biggest year ever. We exported 90 per cent of that, and 90 per cent of those exports went to the U.S.,” Simard said.
He added that while diversification into Europe and Asia is underway, Canada’s aluminum industry cannot fully sever its reliance on the American market.
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