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Saskatchewan steel businesses have been adapting to tariff pressures and business concerns as a result of the tumultuous trade relationship between Canada and the U.S.
David Fritz, president and CEO of Supreme Steel, located just outside Saskatoon, has worked with the company in the steel industry for the past 15 years. He said throughout that time, there’s always been a “good working relationship with companies in the U.S.”
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“We’ve enjoyed free and fair trade with the U.S. for a long time, and as a result, we’ve bought a lot of raw steel materials from the U.S. market, and we’ve shipped a lot of fabricated structural steel into the U.S. for projects,” Fritz said. “It has been an arrangement that’s benefited both countries, and it’s something that we’ve gotten used to over time.”
According to Fritz, those relationships still exist and tariffs are “now just something that’s in the way.”
He said Supreme Steel has had to adapt its supply chains as a result and has to focus its sales domestically. Typically, the company would see about 25 per cent of its business done with the United States. However, this year, Fritz said there has been none.
David Fritz, president of Supreme Steel, says the company would typically see about 25 per cent of its business done with the United States. However, this year, there has been none. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
“We haven’t shipped any steel into the U.S. this year out of this facility, so that’s a change for sure,” he said. “It’s in the millions, 10s of millions of dollars that we’ve, in the past, been shipping to the U.S.”
The steel company, he said, is “adaptable” and “agile,” able to shift and pivot quickly — “probably quicker than a government can make a decision.”
That has led to the company increasing its aggression in the domestic market, though he noted that the industry has not been equally impacted across the country.
Fritz said Supreme Steel has been increasing its aggression in the domestic market, though he noted that the industry has not been equally impacted across the country. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
He speculated that Eastern Canada, actually, has been more impacted because of the high quantities of steel that part of the country ships to the U.S.
Since business with the U.S. has slowed so significantly, Fritz said the new challenge is seeing companies in the same industry competing across Canada for the same domestic projects.
Generally, input costs have also increased for projects across Canada, the CEO added.
“That’s the whole industry. So when we have to adapt our supply chain, it’s not just us,” he said. “You can buy from the U.S. and pay a large amount of tariff, or you can import from overseas and deal with long, long lead times. Either way, projects are affected, so there is an impact no matter what without free and fair trade.”
He said the best situation would be a deal between Canada and the U.S.; however, that’s not in place now and companies like his have to adapt as a result.
He did applaud the federal government’s work supporting the steel industry in light of the tariffs in place.
Workers at Supreme Steel, located just outside Saskatoon, on Sept. 10, 2026. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
“The big thing though is definitely the work, the projects themselves. You can gear up and get new technology, but if there’s no work to do, it really doesn’t help you,” he noted.
The good news, Fritz said, is that lots of work is coming available or already available in Saskatchewan, enough to support the steel industry and be fabricated by steel companies in Saskatchewan.
“It’s great to have the projects, and we’re seeing federal funds injected to make sure projects go ahead. But it only matters if it’s done by Canadian workers, and for Saskatchewan people that it’s done by Saskatchewan workers,” he said.
“That’s the real impact.”
Sask. NDP calls for provincial support for steel workers
Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck spoke at Supreme Steel on Thursday alongside Kim Breckner, NDP trade and export development critic.
Beck said the people working in the steel industry are “caught in the middle of a trade war that they didn’t start.
“These are good Saskatchewan jobs, and these are the workers who build our province. And they need to know – they deserve to know – that their provincial government has a concrete plan to protect their jobs, to support Saskatchewan steel, and to strengthen this critical industry,” Beck said.
So far, Beck said that support hasn’t been seen.
“Donald Trump’s escalating trade war is creating uncertainty for Saskatchewan workers and businesses and companies like Supreme Steel that are feeling the pressure from both directions,” Beck said.
The disruption of supply chains each time tariffs are increased or changed, Beck shared, has financial and workload consequences for businesses like Supreme Steel.
“These are very real consequences here at home for Saskatchewan businesses, for investment, and importantly, for Saskatchewan workers and their families.”
Beck asserted that Moe’s promises that his government will continue working to expand export markets and restore free trade with the U.S. are important, but claimed the premier has “continued to downplay the impact on Saskatchewan businesses.”
She said knowledge and evidence of solid action by the government is needed to properly support workers and industries, like the steel industry, in the province.
Beck called for a job strategy “that recognizes the enormous opportunity that we have right here at home” to support impacted workers and strengthen domestic supply chains, while also prioritizing Canadian and Saskatchewan companies for government procurement.
Beck also wanted to see the Saskatchewan legislature recalled in the interest of creating a plan to deal with the storm of trade issues facing the province and the country.
“We should be helping Saskatchewan businesses to diversify their markets and supporting our steel and manufacturing sectors so that we can build more of what Saskatchewan needs right at home,” Beck stated.
“There’s no reason we should sit back and wait to see what Donald Trump is going to do next.”
In response, the Government of Saskatchewan noted that the latest round of U.S. tariffs “will have relatively little net impact” on the province, with 94 per cent of Saskatchewan exports to the U.S. remaining tariff-free.
“However, some Saskatchewan businesses and workers have been disproportionately affected, facing market disruptions, higher costs and lost opportunities through no fault of their own,” the province stated.
“We will continue working alongside those businesses as we advocate for Saskatchewan’s interests.”
In the statement, the province said it is in “regular contact” with Saskatchewan’s steel industry partners and that it is appreciative of the industry’s efforts to keep workers from the province employed.
“Our focus is on keeping that work and those opportunities moving forward, while continuing to push for the removal of U.S. tariffs that hurt Saskatchewan workers and businesses,” the province said in its statement.
