Trade Cases
Congressional Steel Caucus Urges More Action on Imports
March 1, 2023
The Congressional Steel Caucus (CSC) called on President Biden to keep Section 232 tariffs in place and to explore additional protections as well.
“We encourage the Biden administration to continue to maintain the Section 232 tariffs and quotas, ensure strong trade remedy laws that address unfair trade practices, and protect our environment from high-emission foreign steel production,” the CSC said to President Biden in a letter on Feb. 22.
The bipartisan congressional group urged updating US trade remedy laws “to reflect 21st-century challenges and establishing rules and standards for a resilient domestic steel industry.”
The caucus cited several key factors behind their recommendations. Among them were “government-supported overcapacity in global markets,” duty and tariff circumvention, geopolitical uncertainty, and supply chain risks that “threaten the erosion of the US manufacturing base.”
Additionally, the CSC lauded the US industry’s commitment to sustainable, low-carbon steel production. “However, these advancements are compromised every time a foreign government or producer seeks competitive advantage by cutting corners on sustainability,” the caucus added.
Philip K. Bell, president of the Steel Manufacturers Association, applauded the action taken by the caucus.
“We are proud to work with the Congressional Steel Caucus to encourage the Biden administration to maintain and enforce America’s trade laws as it encourages our trading partners to follow our roadmap for sustainable steel production,” he said in a statement provided to SMU.
Likewise, Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), supported the action.
“We are pleased and grateful that so many members of Congress have championed the American steel industry and our workers by supporting the preservation of the existing steel tariffs,” he said in a statement to SMU.
“We appreciate that the members of the Steel Caucus continue to recognize that the new investments American steelmakers are making, and our global leadership in clean steel production, would be at risk if the existing Section 232 program does not remain in place,” he added.
Dempsey said the group looks forward to continuing work with the caucus to combat “unfair trade” and the “global trade distortions” in steel that continue to threaten the industry.
By Ethan Bernard, ethan@steelmarketupdate.com
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