A Missouri senator is calling for the end of the trade war instigated by Trump administration tariffs that are threatening agricultural producers and manufacturers in her home state. “Missouri jobs and livelihoods are at stake—and I don’t understand the decision to escalate this trade war with no end in sight, risking critical foreign markets and […]
The American Institute for International Steel is seeking reinforcements in its legal battle over the constitutionality of the Trump administration’s Section 232 tariffs. In a letter to AIIS members and steel supply chain partners this week, the trade group solicited donations to help cover its legal bills. “Legal costs and related expenses are mounting quickly. […]
The United States shot back at allies and China who have filed World Trade Organization disputes against Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs. On Monday, the U.S. Trade Representative filed five claims with the WTO challenging retaliatory tariffs launched by China, the EU, Canada, Mexico and Turkey. The tariffs of 10 percent on aluminum imports […]
Houston-based pipe manufacturer Borusan Mannesmann Pipe U.S. has been denied a temporary exemption from Section 232 tariffs on steel imports. Borusan was one of the first companies to file for product exemptions. After not getting a response, Joel Johnson, Borusan Mannesmann’s U.S CEO, decided to take a more direct approach and initiated a company postcard […]
Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and contributor to Steel Market Update, offers the following commentary on the latest developments in Washington: I spoke with a good friend over the weekend about the Trump tariff policy. So far, we have tariffs against all countries on steel and aluminum (with very few exceptions), and China-specific tariffs on $34 billion […]
A Senate Foreign Relations hearing went awry when the administration sent Manisha Singh, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, to answer committee members’ questions about Section 232 measures. Singh was unable to provide Senate members evidence of a coherent trade strategy by the administration. Singh was asked to comment […]
Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and contributor to Steel Market Update, offers the following commentary on the latest developments in Washington: In a sharp escalation of the trade war with China, the U.S. Trade Representative has released a list of about 5,000 items valued at around $200 billion that could be subject to new 10 percent […]
The Senate took a first step on Wednesday to reclaim some of the authority on trade that it has delegated to the president. The Senate passed 88 to 11 a motion to include language in the energy and water appropriation bill that would provide “a role for Congress in making a determination under Section 232 […]
Passage of the Senate motion to give Congress a role in deciding Section 232 tariffs was met with approval by the Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users (CAMMU). The United Steelworkers offered qualified approval, but called for caution. “The Coalition applauds the Senate for taking this important first step to reassert its authority in […]
House members submitted a bill on Wednesday to amend the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 that mirrors a bill proposed in the Senate to limit the administration’s power to adjust imports in the name of national security. The bipartisan bill H.R. 6337, introduced by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), would require a 60-day period for Congress […]
Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and contributor to Steel Market Update, offers the following commentary on the latest developments in Washington: Following is a quick update on the new Section 301 China tariffs, which went into effect on July 6. China implemented its own 25 percent tariffs on a variety of U.S. exports to China. Soybean […]
The World Trade Organization is keeping busy fielding complaints from countries concerned about U.S. trade policies. So far seven countries have filed requests to the WTO for consultation with the U.S. on Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. Russia was the latest to file a complaint, charging that the Section 232 measures violate WTO […]
Switzerland has added its name to the list of countries seeking World Trade Organization consultation with the United States regarding Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum products. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) initiated a dispute settlement procedure with the WTO today, July 10. Although Switzerland does not have a large metal […]
Are imports of motor vehicles and auto parts a threat to the security of the United States? More than three out of four respondents to last week’s Steel Market Update market trends questionnaire say no. Citing the same argument that it used to justify the tariffs on steel and aluminum under Section 232 of the […]
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce could normally be expected to support the policies of a “pro-business” president. But recent and proposed trade actions by the Trump administration threaten the nation’s economic resurgence and as many as 2.6 million American jobs, contend Chamber leaders. In a new analysis, the Chamber outlines the state-by-state impact of retaliatory […]
Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and contributor to Steel Market Update, offers the following commentary on the latest developments in Washington: The steel product exclusion process is stuck. While more than 11,000 comments have been filed, the overwhelming majority of which are product exclusion requests, less than 100 (by my latest count) have been processed. Of […]
Canada’s retaliatory tariffs will go into effect on July 1 in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Friday. The tariffs on $12.6 billion of U.S. goods are equivalent to the value of steel and aluminum products hit by the Section 232 tariffs. Freeland, accompanied by Industry Minister […]
Steel imports fell by nearly a quarter from April to May as the Trump administration’s steel tariffs began to take effect, reported the American Institute for International Steel (AIIS). Imports fell 23.2 percent month-to-month to 2.89 million net tons, which was almost 16 percent lower than in May 2017. South Korea—which has agreed to a […]
The Corker amendment to require congressional approval of Section 232 tariffs by the administration has been denied a vote in the Senate despite receiving unanimous consent. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a strong supporter of the U.S. steel industry and the Section 232 tariffs, blocked the Senate vote arguing that adding the amendment to a new […]
ArcelorMittal Dofasco CEO Sean Donnelly told Ottawa lawmakers that U.S. tariffs may force the company to lay off 1,000 workers and reconsider investments totaling $564 million. During testimony at a special meeting of the House International Trade Committee, Donnelly and other steel manufacturers asked the government to hold firm on retaliatory tariffs against the United […]
The American Institute for International Steel and two companies have challenged the constitutionality of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. AIIS, along with Sim-Tex, LP, and Kurt Orban Partners, LLC, have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York City alleging that the statute violates the constitutional […]
Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and contributor to Steel Market Update, offers the following commentary on the latest developments in Washington: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross reported to the Senate Finance Committee last week that companies had submitted 20,003 product exclusion requests for steel and 2,503 for aluminum, seeking relief from tariffs on products they maintain are […]
Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and contributor to Steel Market Update, offers the following commentary on the latest developments in Washington: The year is now half over. The second half of the year will be even more interesting than the first. Here are the latest developments: Canada’s tariffs went into effect today, July 1. Tariffs of […]
Support is growing in the Senate to block President Trump’s use of Section 232 tariffs that have alienated the U.S. from its allies and the world, claims Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). Corker has proposed a bill that would curtail Trump’s trade authority by requiring congressional approval for the imposition of tariffs for national security purposes. […]
Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs are causing collateral damage in the case of one high profile White House-favored manufacturer. Harley-Davidson announced Monday that because of EU tariffs in response to U.S.-imposed steel and aluminum tariffs, the company will shift production of motorcycles for EU destinations from the United States to international facilities. EU tariffs […]
Turkey imposed retaliatory tariffs Thursday on $1.8 billion of U.S. goods in response to Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. “Turkey is committed to active, robust and reciprocal trade relations with the US — but with the understanding that fairness cannot be one-sided,” Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said in a statement. “We cannot and […]
In testimony before a skeptical and sometimes combative group of senators Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross did his best to defend the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum and the controversial trade policies of the Trump administration. Despite his assurances that the process of reviewing product exclusion requests is on track, members of the […]
Lewis Leibowitz, trade attorney and contributor to Steel Market Update, offers the following commentary on the latest developments in Washington: On Wednesday, during a Senate hearing on the Section 232 tariffs, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross offered some additional information on the volume of product exclusion requests he has received. As of June 20, there were […]
The Commerce Department’s procedure for filing requests to have products excluded from the Section 232 steel tariffs has been called confusing and burdensome by many companies, some of which have been thwarted in their attempts to file. Applications can be rejected for something as simple as an inaccurate Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code. In testimony […]
Major pipeline producers are seeking tariff exclusions for imported pipe used in pipeline projects currently in progress. Of the estimated 21,000 exclusion requests submitted to Commerce, more than 500 requests are for pipe and other energy-related materials. A report released June 18 by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) estimates 41,000 miles of […]