Sault Ste. Marie MP says Trump tried to wipe Algoma Steel ‘off the map’

By Canadian Press on October 1, 2025.

OTTAWA — The member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma region says U.S. President Donald Trump tried to “wipe Algoma Steel off the map” with his punishing tariffs.

But Terry Sheehan says the federal government’s recently announced lifeline for the steel plant will be “critical” to its survival and allow the company to “pivot to the future” and diversify its product.

He told reporters on Parliament Hill today that while it could take the domestic steel industry two years to fully pivot away from the U.S. market, he’s confident it will survive the tough times and emerge stronger.

Ottawa announced Monday that Algoma Steel will receive $500 million in federal and provincial loan assistance to help it reorient its business to cope with the impact of the ongoing trade war.

Algoma Steel’s CEO has said Trump’s 50 per cent steel tariffs effectively closed off the American market to Canadian steel.

Sheehan says he wants to put forward a new national strategy for steel that looks at how Canada can strengthen the domestic industry in the long term.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press