CAMMU issues statement on steel and aluminum tariffs on EU, Canada, and Mexico

Paul Nathanson, spokesperson for the Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users, issued the following statement May 31, 2018:

“We are deeply disappointed that the Trump administration has decided to move forward with imposing steel and aluminum tariffs on the EU, Canada, and Mexico. Make no mistake: Restricting the raw material supply in the U.S. and imposing tariffs on imports from our closest trading partners places American manufacturers directly in harm’s way. The pain will by no means be limited to the manufacturing sector; a slew of other U.S.-made products will soon be penalized with retaliatory tariffs by our major export trading partners.

“The last time the U.S. imposed steel tariffs in 2002, more than 200,000 American manufacturers lost their jobs. The consequences of these 232 steel tariffs could be even worse for U.S. companies as the 2002 tariffs were not applied to Canada and Mexico.

“Our member manufacturers––even those who only use steel and aluminum produced in the U.S.—have already experienced price spikes and increased lead times for the steel and aluminum inputs they use to make finished products.

"The bottom line is that when U.S. manufacturers pay vastly more for steel and aluminum than manufacturers anywhere else in the world, it undermines their ability to compete and be successful on the global market. The tariffs particularly impact small and medium-sized companies who will lose business to their overseas competitors. Our members are also reporting concerns over their own exports as their overseas customers shift to non-U.S. suppliers who do not face government restrictions on steel and aluminum. And when a customer removes you from their supply chain, especially for smaller, family-owned businesses, it is tough to bring that work back to the U.S.

“This trade war will negatively impact manufacturing workers who have benefited from the other pro-manufacturing policies already implemented by the Trump administration—and in most cases more than undoing growth generated from the tax cuts enacted late last year. Plans by U.S. manufacturers to expand will be put on hold indefinitely. Companies will be forced into difficult choices about technology, investment, and jobs. We urge President Trump to change course now to protect and sustain millions of U.S. manufacturing jobs.”

The Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users is a broad organization of U.S. businesses and trade associations representing more than 30,000 companies and more than 1 million U.S. workers in the manufacturing sector and the downstream supply chains of industries including aerospace, agriculture, automotive, consumer goods, construction, defense, electrical, medical, and recreational. The coalition was formed to oppose the Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs. For additional information, visit www.tariffsaretaxes.org.