https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/feb/13/bidens-silent-war-on-americas-steel-industry/
Biden’s silent war on America’s steel industry
Tariffs instituted under Trump should be reinstated
Mr. Biden’s silent war on the U.S. steel and aluminum industries began years ago during his vice presidency. America’s steel and aluminum industries, which are critical to national security, did indeed find themselves in steep decline after eight years of the Obama-Biden administration.
Consider that steel imports as a percentage of total U.S. consumption rose from 22.7% in 2009 to 30.1% in 2016. Aluminum imports as a share of total U.S. consumption jumped from 41% to 53% in just 2015 to 2016.
To fix the mess, Mr. Trump invoked Section 232 tariffs in March 2018 on foreign steel and aluminum imports except those from Canada and Mexico, at 25% and 10%, respectively. I was in the Oval Office with then-Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross when my old boss took this bold action. Thus defended by the Trump tariffs, our steel and aluminum manufacturers would proceed to attract $15 billion of domestic investment while over 4,000 new jobs were created.
Behind the Trump tariff wall, steel and aluminum imports also drastically decreased, from 59% in 2017 to 22% by the end of 2019. All because of Mr. Trump’s tariffs.