Aluminum-rod manufacturer Alubar’s manufacturing facility in Bécancour, Que., shut down Tuesday as U.S. tariffs on imports from Canada kicked in, but the company said the closure is only temporary.

Brazil-based Alubar said the plant would reopen Wednesday. The company’s comments came after Jessy Trottier, president of the plant’s United Steel Workers local in a news release Tuesday that the facility had closed due to the U.S. tariffs.

“We’ve been talking for weeks about measures to support the economy. What is the concrete plan?” said Jessy Trottier, president of the plant’s United Steel Workers local in a news release Tuesday. “Because this morning, we’re the first to be punched in the face, and we need help.”

According to CBC, the reopening will last until at least March 12, when additional 25% U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel are slated to take effect, raising the total levy on those products to 50%.

CBC reported that the plant’s management had announced the closure, citing the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. President Donald Trump administration. And, on Monday evening, employees were ordered to put the plant into hibernation.

But that report differed from others that stated the union’s notice of a permanent shutdown resulted from anxiety about the newly introduced U.S. tariffs and miscommunication. But the USW said Alubar reversed course following a meeting between union leaders and the plant’s management.

The USW, which represents 70 workers at the plant, called on the Quebec and federal governments to take immediate action to support workers and modernize industrial plants. The union is also pushing for policies that prioritize Canadian products and diversify the economy.

The plant produces its aluminum rods primarily for export to the U.S. The newly imposed 25% tariff on Canadian exports, together with the additional forthcoming tariff on aluminum, would have rendered the plant unsustainable, according to the union.

The USW warned plants in other sectors such as steel, wood, manufacturing, and auto parts could also shut down as a result of the U.S. tariffs.

Photo: Alubar