A company that makes pie tins, takeout containers and other items out of aluminum foil is getting squeezed by tariffs — and not just the ones being fired between Canada and the U.S.
Sam Thang, the plant manager at Wohler Canada Inc. in Mississauga, Ont., says 20 per cent of its finished products go to the United States and he figures that portion of his business is “gone.”
Add to that the indirect impact from Canadian customers who use Wohler’s tins for their pies and ready-made meals and then sell their goods in the United States at an increased cost.
Thang says that aspect is hard to quantify, but in a worst-case scenario, the business in Canada could be cut to 40 per cent of what it was.
As for the raw material used to make the food containers, Thang said that is imported from China.
Last October, the federal government imposed a 25 per cent surtax on aluminum from China, citing “pervasive subsidization and other non-market policies.”
Thang says Wohler applied for and received a pause on that tax until the end of this year.
“We are very stressed,” Thang said.
Ottawa said Wednesday it will impose 25 per cent tariffs on U.S. goods worth $29.8 billion in retaliation for steel and aluminum tariffs the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump imposed.
All countries, including Canada, were hit Wednesday with 25 per cent levies on imports of those materials into the United States.
Canada’s dollar-for-dollar tariffs will take effect at 12:01 ET Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2025.
