The steel town on the frontline of Trump's tariff war

The sprawling ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel plant in Hamilton, Ontario has in recent months become a site of pilgrimage for Canadian political leaders.

- Leyland Cecco

Dressed in pristine orange coveralls and hard hats, prime ministers and provincial premiers gaze at coiled sheets of steel with the stern grimaces and keen interest of generals reviewing a military parade. And, in the eyes of many Canadians, the country is already in a state of conflict.

Last week, after a string of feints and retreats, a phoney trade war came to an end as Donald Trump threatened to inflict “a financial price ... so big that it will be read about in history books for many years to come”.

US tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminium imports took effect on 12 March, followed in turn by retaliatory levies by Canada.

And so, barely 48 hours after winning the race to lead the ruling federal Liberal party, Canada’s prime minister-designate, Mark Carney, became the latest politician to head to Dofasco.

The former governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada criticised the “unjustified” tariffs and said he was willing to sit down with Trump, as long as he showed “respect for Canadian sovereignty”.