(Steel Tube Institute, 14.Mar.2024) — The Steel Tube Institute (STI) – an organization that brings together key producers in the steel industry to advance the use of steel tubing – today declared its support of new legislation preventing illegal steel imports from Mexico into the United States. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the Stop Mexico’s Steel Surge Act to both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday, 12 Mar. 2024 to protect American jobs from the effects of steel dumping that forces plant closures and costs Americans their jobs.
“The Steel Tube Institute commends Senators Cotton, Brown and their colleagues for taking these vital steps to protect American jobs and promote American-made steel,” said Dale Crawford, executive director for STI. “Steel is the backbone of American manufacturing and its mills are committed to meeting the growing demand for steel and providing the high quality, safe and sustainable product our nation needs.”
Steel demand has spiked in recent years because of federal legislation including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the Creating Helpful Incentives for the Production of Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act. A shift toward electrification is expected to continue that trend, as renewable energy capacity expands worldwide.
The Stop Mexico’s Steel Surge Act would reinstate a 25 percent Section 232 tariff on Mexican steel imports for at least one year or until Mexico demonstrates compliance and commitment as determined by the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative. It would also grant the president power to respond to major surges on certain goods with new quotas or tariff rate quotas.
The bill’s co-sponsors include Senators John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Rick Scott (R-Florida), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts). Representatives Rick Crawford (Arkansas-01) and Frank Mrvan (Indiana-01) are introducing accompanying legislation in the House.
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