Steel is our nation’s strength. Mr. Trump should remember that.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul has an opinion piece in the Jan. 18 edition of the New York Times on a topic that we've covered extensively here on the blog since April 2017: The ongoing "Section 232" national security investigation into steel imports. The op-ed went to print just as President Trump headed to Pennsylvania, the state where he famously pledged to take action to safeguard steel during his 2016 presidential campaign.
In the NYT op-ed, Paul outlines some of the reasons why Trump should take decisive action immediately in this case:
"Even in this digital age, steel undergirds our military power, not to mention critical infrastructure. Tanks, aircraft carriers and the neergy grid all rely on high-strength, lightweight steel. That steel has been made in America for generations.
The security of our own industry, though has been in doubt for a long time."
The culprit, of course, is steel from China, which is flooding the global market. A meaningful Section 232 action would serve to level the playing field for American steelworkers and steel producers — and allow Trump to keep his promise. Paul continues:
"Some of the steel salvaged from the World Trade Center — 20 support 'forks' that refused to fall in 2001 — are on display at the mill in Coatesville, Pa., where they were made. Its sister mill recently announced layoffs, and these workers fear they could be next. They make armor plate for Abrams tanks and aircraft carriers, at least for now."
Read the full NYT piece, and be sure to tell President Trump to stand up for American-made steel.