Bipartisan Letter Asks for More Extensive Section 232 Tariffs

Eighteen Republicans and seven Democrats in the House of Representatives are asking for Section 232 tariffs to apply to lamination and cores of electric steel, saying an increase in imports of those kinds from Mexico and Canada are a sign of “blatant circumvention” of the 25% tariffs on electrical steel, as they say neither Canada nor Mexico produces electrical steel. The April 15 letter, sent to President Donald Trump, was led by Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. AK Steel, which makes electrical steel in Pennsylvania and finishes it in Ohio, has threatened to close those plants because of the competition (see 2003090038). Balderson and Kelly wrote the president on the same issue in early March. Three of the four senators representing those two states asked for these items to be included in March 2018 (see 1803090038).