Tampa Steel Conference: SMA and CSPA outline trade pressures, enforcement priorities

Leaders of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) and the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) used this year’s Tampa Steel Conference to outline the North American steel industry’s central challenges: growing pressures, tariff realignments, and the upcoming USMCA review.

CSPA President and CEO Catherine Cobden said global excess steel capacity – particularly China’s roughly 700 million tons – remains the “core” issue impacting North American markets. Excess capacity is distorting prices and driving unfair trade, she said. “Metal floats quite well all over the world and ends up in North America,” she commented, noting the impact on both Canadian and US producers.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held various editorial positions with steel industry publications, associations, and mills since 2007. She joined the SMU team in 2022. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.