Canada should prosecute companies that relocate production to the United States to avoid tariffs, the nation’s largest private-sector union told the Commons finance committee. Blacklock's Reporter says the union also called for a federal ban on imports from firms that shift jobs or assets south of the border.Unifor said such moves “imperil the Canadian economy and infringe on Canadian sovereignty” and should be punished under the 1985 Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act, the same law used in 1996 to protect Sherritt International from U.S. sanctions over Cuban operations. The union wants penalties increased, including higher fines and restrictions on re-importing goods made in violation of the law.“This is the fight of our lives,” Unifor national president Lana Payne said. “Corporations need to understand every move they make will have consequences. No company should think it can move jobs south and get a free ride shipping products back to Canada.”.Payne called the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act “a powerful tool,” noting the law allows up to $1.5 million in fines for companies and two years in jail for individuals. She said it could send a clear message that moving production to the U.S. won’t be without punishment.The union’s push comes amid growing tensions with Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Mark Carney in May that his administration has no interest in Canadian cars, steel, or aluminum, citing trade deficits and plans to expand American production. Unifor warned that failure to act risks further job losses and economic harm.
