US steel giant Cleveland-Cliffs reported that its president Lourenco Goncalves, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and United Steelworkers union leader David McCall will hold a press conference on Wednesday, June 26, on the Stop Mexico’s Steel Surge Act bill.
“Senator Brown has led efforts pushing the current administration to take aggressive action to enforce the agreement to level the playing field for American manufacturers and workers in the steel industry,” the company reported in a press release.
The bicameral and bipartisan bill was registered in Congress last March 12, it is to restore the Section 232 tariffs on Mexican steel imports from Mexico of 25 percent, for at least one year. In addition, if approved, additional tariffs may be decreed on specific products, if necessary.
The bill was introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown and Tom Cotton (R, Arkansas), and House Representatives Frank Mrvan (D, Indiana) and Rick Crawford (R, Arkansas). Also signed by Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Ted Budd (R-Carolina North), John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and James David Vance (R-Ohio).
In March 2018, the United States imposed tariffs of 10 percent on aluminum and 25 percent on Mexican steel exported to that country. In June of that year, Mexico applied retaliatory tariffs and in May 2019, it was agreed to eliminate the tariffs. Mexico committed to following up on the triangulation of steel from other countries to the United States.
Last year, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Katherine Tai, warned about an alleged increase in steel exports from Mexico to the United States.