Low-Priced Import Competition Necessitates Layoffs at Nova Steel
Company calls for better government measures to increase demand for Canadian steel.
MONTREAL, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nova Steel, based in Montreal, is the only Canadian producer of standard steel pipe used for plumbing and heating, fire protection, mining, water well casing, and fencing. The company has been experiencing the impact of unfairly traded steel pipe imports for years and has brought trade cases to try to address the problem. Despite taking proactive steps to address imports and investing over $200 million in new technology and modern buildings, Nova remains below a 25% market share in Canada.
"We are a proud supporter of the domestic steel industry and use Canadian produced hot rolled coils to make our standard steel pipe. We will not engage in a race to the bottom and resort to purchasing imported hot rolled coils to compete with unfairly traded imports. We will only invest in products that can be supported by domestic steel in both Canada and the United States. Today, with our standard steel pipe backlog plummeting due to a surge of unfairly priced imports, we must take the unfortunate decision to cut shifts and lay off employees at a very difficult time of year." said Scott Jones, President and CEO of Nova Steel.
Against this backdrop, Nova Steel is announcing the temporary layoff of 36 colleagues at its Saint-Patrick facility, effective Friday, November 13, 2026. The company recognizes the impact of this decision on affected colleagues and their families.
"These pressures on our company have real consequences for our colleagues and their families," Jones continued. "The layoffs are temporary for now, but if no new measures to address unfairly traded imports are taken in the next 2 or 3 months, they could become permanent and lead to more layoffs".
Nova Steel is calling on the federal government to do the following:
- Strengthen trade policy and trade enforcement to limit the harm being caused by dumped imports
- Adopt a North American fortress approach to steel
- Strengthen and enforce Buy Canada mandates for all government projects at all levels of government including provincial and municipal
- Incentivize private sector projects using steel to Buy Canadian
About Nova Steel
Founded in 1979, Nova Steel is an independent North American steel manufacturer and distribution company with 19 locations across North America, more than 1,400 employees and over one million tons of annual capacity. With manufacturing operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Nova Steel is well-positioned to serve domestic markets with domestically produced steel.
Nova Steel's approach is built on responsive customer service, reliable supply and the flexibility to make fast decisions that support customers' growth and success. State-of-the-art equipment, modern facilities and rigorous quality control support dimensional consistency and surface quality that exceed industry standards.
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SOURCE Nova Steel
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