By Maria Cheng
MONTREAL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump levied 50% tariffs on Canadian steel in June last year, a steel factory in Canada's mostly French-speaking province of Quebec lost about a third of its orders for bolts and fasteners in less than a week.
The factory owner - The Heico Companies - froze hiring, closed a plant in the region and laid off several dozen people, said David Jeannotte, an operations director, whose own brother lost his job. The cuts were part of 140 layoffs by the company, mainly in Quebec.
The factory's troubles reflect broader anxiety over the fallout from Trump's trade war in Quebec, which is due to hold a provincial election by October 5. But while some previous economic slowdowns in the province prompted an increase in separatist sentiment, polls show that this time around, support for an independent Quebec is at its lowest level in decades, at about 30%.
"As long as Trump will be in his chair, I don't feel that we even need to talk about that," Jeannotte said.
#quebec #province
MONTREAL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump levied 50% tariffs on Canadian steel in June last year, a steel factory in Canada's mostly French-speaking province of Quebec lost about a third of its orders for bolts and fasteners in less than a week.
The factory owner - The Heico Companies - froze hiring, closed a plant in the region and laid off several dozen people, said David Jeannotte, an operations director, whose own brother lost his job. The cuts were part of 140 layoffs by the company, mainly in Quebec.
The factory's troubles reflect broader anxiety over the fallout from Trump's trade war in Quebec, which is due to hold a provincial election by October 5. But while some previous economic slowdowns in the province prompted an increase in separatist sentiment, polls show that this time around, support for an independent Quebec is at its lowest level in decades, at about 30%.
"As long as Trump will be in his chair, I don't feel that we even need to talk about that," Jeannotte said.
#quebec #province
17 days ago
