The irony of the drywall tariff issue… millions of dollars added to home costs in Western Canada

Yesterday, John Bleasby updated the story of the Canadian drywallers who went to Washington as part of the protests against sky high Canadian import tariffs in Western Canada that have pushed drywall prices through the roof. The tariffs have come down, but manufacturers have not lowered drywall prices correspondingly.

Here is a comment from a contractor that refers to the Saint-Gobain, the parent company of Certain Teed Gypsum Canada, that initiated the trade complaint in the first place, last fall. (Editor’s Note: In fairness, Saint-Gobain’s complaint to the trade tribunal was that it was the sole drywall manufacturer in Western Canada – and it was talking about Canadian jobs, not French ones.)

I find it ironic that millions of dollars have been added to the cost of homes in Western Canada to protect 30 jobs in Ontario at a subsidiary of a French parent company, no less. Is this the Liberal’s idea of job creation ?

Brian J. Stoddard