Government/Policy
July 13, 2024
Written by Lewis Leibowitz
Steel is, mostly for historical reasons, a bellwether of international policy. No longer an industry of primary importance, its advocates still proclaim that it is.
And steel still continues to punch above its weight in Washington, DC. Below are a few recent examples.
The result comes after Mexico’s Ministry of Economy completed a five-year sunset review of the anti-dumping duty (AD) order on imports of hot-rolled (HR) sheet from Russia and Ukraine.
President Trump said a trade deal with Canada could come within the next few weeks.
US steel industry groups representing most of domestic steel production are urging the Trump administration to tighten trade measures on steel imports from South Korea. They are seeking a South Korea-specific tariff-rate quota (TRQ) and an investigation into a reported import surge.
In 2015, finished steel imports were 29% of apparent domestic consumption of steel, as estimated by AISI. In 2025, the import share had fallen to 18%. Steel lobbyists think that is progress, but the reality is more complex.
Several steel trade organizations have called on President Trump to resist weakening Section 232 steel tariffs.