Two large Russian steelmakers with divisions in the US are seeking relief from Section 232 tariffs on their semi-finished imports. NLMK USA has formally requested an exemption for Russian slab that it imports for processing in US facilities while Russian-owned Swiss steelmaking giant Severstal filed a lawsuit through its subsidiaries against the US government seeking a court action to stop tariffs against their imports.
Robert Miller, NLMK USA's chief executive, said "We requested an overall exclusion for slabs. Nothing country specific.”
Seeking the injunctive relief, Severstal Export GmbH and its US affiliate, Severstal Export Miami Corporation filed suit in Manhattan at the US Court of International Trade on March 22, 2018. The exporter claims the March 8, 2018 tariff proclamation is unconstitutional “because [Trump’s] stated national security justification is a thinly veiled pretext for the president’s political agenda.”
The suit names Trump and the US government as co-defendants, along with US Customs and Border Protection, Acting CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, the Department of Commerce, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Severstal wants Trump’s tariffs ruled unconstitutional as applied to the Swiss steel importer, including vessels in transit with goods under contracts it entered prior to March 8.
The complaint adds, “tariffs will effectively wipe out the plaintiffs’ painstakingly built US business and ruin the goodwill and reputation that has taken over 20 years to grow and develop.” Severstal does not qualify for the temporary EU exemption.