During a US Department of Commerce hearing today on the ongoing Section 232 investigation, several prominent members of the US steel industry voiced concerns about imports and their impact on national security, including the president of the largest steel union in the US, United Steelworkers International. US-produced steel is used for numerous military-related products, such as special holes for submarines, specialized aircraft carrier doors, tanks, and armored vehicles.
“Our national security is increasingly at risk because of the relentless economic attacks on our steel industry,” said Gerard.
Gerard said China is the “main offender,” adding that while the country “continues to attack our entire manufacturing sector, it has been targeting steel longer than any other product.”
However, Gerard stated that Canada should be exempted from any potential action in the steel sector. “From a national security perspective, Canada is one of the few countries that is always there for us,” Gerard said. “Our security relationship with Canada is truly unique. We share an uncontested border. We have an intelligence sharing agreement. We have the North American Aerospace Defense Command – NORAD – that has existed for more than sixty years that was the initial line of defense for North America during the Cold War. Canada is an ally, a friend and a trusted partner.”
Gerard also said that Canada must ensure that it enforces trade laws, “so that steel producers do not use their market as a way-station to enter the US market, circumventing and evading our laws and interests.”