Tariffs on Carbon Intensive Steel Proposed

New legislation aimed at boosting US steel production proposes imposing tariffs on imports of carbon-intensive steel.

Introduced in Johnstown, PA by California Rep. Ro Khanna, the Modern Steel Act, introduced by a group of House Democrats, would offer funding and incentives for the construction of new facilities producing near-zero emissions iron and/or steel, using cutting edge technologies like hydrogen direct reduction.

To fight foreign competition, it calls on the International Trade Commission to study, recommend and impose ad valorem import tariffs on foreign carbon-intensive steel that surpasses the US average. The President would have the executive authority to make adjustments to tariff.

It also would prohibit funds provided under the legislation from being used for projects outside the United States or from being used for projects involving Chinese state-owned entities.

Johnstown's Republican representative to Congress, Dr. John Joyce, has not endorsed the legislation, although the City's Pennsylvania State Representative, Frank Burns has.

Other endorsing organizations include: United Steel Workers (USW); Cleveland Cliffs; the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI); Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM);  and the Sierra Club.

[Rep. Khanna's Press Release]