Steel Industry, Labor Union Urge President to Preserve Steel Tariffs

This ignores the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to global supply chains in several industries, including steel.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Several leading industry groups representing the domestic steel industry and the workers belonging to them have urged President Joe Biden to preserve the steel tariffs imposed by the prior administration in 2018.

The signatories of the joint request letter are The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), United Steelworkers union (USW), Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), The Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI), Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA), American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM).

AISI Chief Presses on the Need to Preserve U.S. Steel Tariffs

The groups highlighted that the current elimination of steel tariffs would seriously undermine the viability of the American steel industry. The opponents of steel tariffs have been arguing for elimination of the same in order to increase supply. This ignores the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to global supply chains in several industries, including steel.

They noted that the steel industry in the country witnessed investment of more than $15.7 billion in new or upgraded facilities since the introduction of tariffs. The domestic steel sector has clocked over 50% surge in steel production. Also, steel mill employment too has increased significantly, they said.