It's not much, just 29 cautiously drafted words.
But Algoma Steel Group Inc. has issued its first response to Donald Trump's Sunday-night disclosure that he's going ahead with his planned 25-per-cent tariff on imports of steel and aluminum from Canada or any other country.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and have been in close consultation with the government regarding the challenges this will present to Algoma Steel and the Canadian steel industry," Laura Devoni, Algoma Steel's director of human resources and corporate affairs, advised SooToday on Monday.
Trump signed the executive orders early Monday evening, imposing the levies in the Oval Office, saying it's a big deal and will make America rich again.
The new duties come one week after Trump temporarily paused plans to hit Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs and a lower 10-per-cent levy on Canadian energy.
Elsewhere, aftershocks from Trump's tariff announcement continue to ripple through business and political circles.
The Sault steelmaker's share price dropped in early trading Monday while shares of U.S. steel companies rose in value.
"Appeasement will not work. This is about breaking Canada," said Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress.
In a social media post, Bruske said the federal government must develop an emergency plan including retaliatory tariffs, buying Canadian steel, halting illegal dumping of foreign steel and introducing emergency employment insurance enhancements.
"When President Trump implemented tariffs on Canadian steel in 2018, we saw massive disruptions and harm on both sides of the border, hurting both America and Canada," said Catherine Cobden, president and CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association.
"The Canada - US economy is so highly integrated; with $20 billion trade of steel between our two countries. Forty per cent of Canada's steel imports comes from the United States," Cobden said in a news release.
"This at a time when Canada has worked tremendously hard to align our trade policy with the United States to protect both markets from unfair trade that threaten jobs and communities.
"For example, Canada implemented its own Section 53 tariffs on Chinese steel imports and a monitoring system of all imports to ensure it can identify the country of melt and pour.
"While the target of Canadian steel and aluminum is completely baseless and unwarranted, we must retaliate immediately.
"We are urgently demanding that the Government of Canada act again with resolve and purpose to combat this threat and ensure any measure taken against our sector is met with retaliatory measures and action to offset the devastating impacts tariffs would have on our sector and our workers," Cobden said.
Sault MP Terry Sheehan issued a written statement signalling that he's speaking to executives from Algoma Steel as well as union bosses to get ideas for a Team Canada response.
"Your government is ready to retaliate, and to support workers and industry as well," Sheehan said.
"The last time Donald Trump imposed arbitrary tariffs on Canadian steel in 2018, our government fought back, with dollar-for-dollar counter tariffs, and we won. We also supported the steel industry and workers during this difficult period.
"These new tariffs are, once again, unreasonable and unjustified. As chair of the All-Party Steel Caucus, member of the Trade Committee, and as the representative of a proud steel town, I will work tirelessly to ensure that the U.S. tariffs are lifted."
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre predicted Trump's steel tariffs, combined with a crackdown on steelmakers and other major polluters proposed by Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney, could be catastrophic for Canada.
"Carney told CTV about 10 days ago that he's going to bring in a new carbon tax on Canadian industry. He mentioned steel," Poilievre said Monday in Iqaluit.
"Can you imagine what it would do to our country if at the same time Donald Trump hits our steel industry with a tariff mark, Carney brings in a massive new carbon tax?
"My friends . . . there will be no steel making in Canada, and we will lose the most fundamental strategic building block of an economy, and frankly, our national security," Poilievre warned.
Here in the Sault, the Trump tariffs were also being discussed by Michael Gassi, a former Algoma Steel general manager who was terminated by the company on Feb. 22, 2016.
"I don't understand Canadians, with their anti-Trump and anti-American rants over the tariffs," wrote Gassi, who's seeking the local federal Conservative nomination, on Facebook.
"All this hatred over potential 25 per cent tariffs, but the same Liberal and left-wing Canadians have no concerns with being punished and bankrupted by Justin Trudeau with his 28-per-cent carbon climate hoax tax? The hypocrisies are amazing."
Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney was also weighing in on the tariff issue on Monday.
"Trump wants us to lose our cool. But we need to stay united, with the right response," he said.
"In the short term, Canada needs to manage foreign trade threats with dollar-for-dollar tariffs and supports for our critical steel and aluminum workers. And as we look to the future, we'll need a coordinated strategy to boost investment, make our companies more competitive, and diversify our trading partners."
Another Liberal leadership candidate, Chrystia Freeland, termed the Trumpian tariffs as "illegal and unjustified."
"If Trump proceeds with this threat against our industry and workers, we must retaliate dollar-for-dollar, just like in 2018, when I led the fight and won. I can do it again," Freeland said.
Canada's ambassador to France says United States President Donald Trump's invasion threats violate international law.
"I'm just saying that in order to respect international law, you don't threaten your neighbours by invasion," Stéphane Dion said Monday at Canada's embassy in Paris.
In January, Trump threatened to use "economic force" to annex Canada. He said again Sunday that he wants to see Canada become a U.S. state, after being asked about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent claim that Trump is not joking about annexation.
- with files from the Canadian Press