Nucor CEO John Ferriola has reportedly “received assurances” from the White House that Donald Trump still intends to impose tariffs on steel imports as part of the delayed Section 232 investigation.
Although Ferriola has not spoken to Trump directly about the matter, he said in an interview with Bloomberg today that according to an administration official, Trump brings up the investigation “several times a week” and appears to still support the idea of tariffs.
Last week, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that a decision on Section 232 will be delayed until tax reform is completed. Trump has said he wants a tax bill on his desk by the end of the year, although Congress has not made much headway in terms of a detailed tax plan.
Nucor is one of several US steelmakers who have lobbied for stronger protection from foreign competitors, beyond the existing Department of Commerce system for antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.