US Steelmakers Back Trump’s Tariff Plans Amid Steep Foreign Competition

U.S. steelmakers are supporting President-elect Donald Trump’s proposals to place tariffs on China, Mexico and other countries, according to The Wall Street Journal.

American steel companies are calling for Trump to reintroduce tariffs on steel from the U.K., Japan and the EU amid concerns of foreign competitors being involved in unfair market practices, according to The WSJ. Some U.S. steel executives were supportive of steel tariffs under the previous Trump administration, with some steelmakers saying the tariffs helped to boost profits, The WSJ reported.

The Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), the largest steel association in America, sent a proposal to the Trump transition team Monday urging them to strengthen steel tariffs in hopes to boost domestic manufacturing and bolster job growth, according to a press release. The steel association’s press release also cited concerns of competition from heavily subsidized steel coming into the U.S. market.

The president-elect has leaned into tariffs, calling them the most “beautiful” word and proposing sweeping tariffs across the country. Trump threatened Saturday to impose 100% tariffs on any BRICS nation that abandons the U.S. dollar and vowed in September to impose 200% tariffs on John Deere products if the company relocates its manufacturing to Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum signaled on Tuesday that she will retaliate if Trump follows through on his proposed tariff plans. Some companies are taking steps to evade anticipated price increases from potential tariffs, including stockpiling inventory in U.S. warehouses.

“Moving swiftly to strengthen manufacturing in the United States represents the best way to ensure long-term success for American workers, families and communities,” SMA President Philp K. Bell said in the press release. “We are under constant threat from nonmarket economies who evade our trade laws to dump cheap, heavily subsidized, high-emissions steel and other products into the American market, making it hard for domestic manufacturers to compete. Fortunately, President-elect Trump has vowed to use every tool he can to end unfair trade while stimulating growth in jobs and productivity.”

Trump introduced various tariffs during his previous presidency, including imposing a 15% tariff on Chinese imports such as tools, apparel and electronics in 2018 and enacting tariffs on steel and aluminum. Steelworkers from the Pittsburgh area credited Trump’s steel tariffs for “saving” their jobs during an October Fox News appearance.

“We believe domestic steel will be a priority for the new administration,” Bell added in the press release. “Major projects require steel, including new roads, bridges, factories, pipelines, windmills, and ports. Steel’s the primary material in automobiles, heavy trucks, railcars, farm tractors, and ships. It’s central to national security, needed for munitions, tanks, warplanes, and critical infrastructure. Steel makes America great.”

“In his first term, President Trump instituted tariffs against China that created jobs, spurred investment, and resulted in no inflation,” Trump-Vance Transition Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation on Monday. “President Trump will work quickly to fix and restore an economy that puts American workers [first] by re-shoring American jobs, lowering inflation, raising real wages, lowering taxes, cutting regulations, and unshackling American energy.”

“President Trump has promised tariff policies that protect the American manufacturers and working men and women from the unfair practices of foreign companies and foreign markets,” Trump-Vance Transition Spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement shared with the DCNF Monday. “As he did in his first term, he will implement economic and trade policies to make life affordable and more prosperous for our nation.”

The Steel Manufacturers Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.