As foreign steel imports from countries including China and Mexico surge in the United States, the Biden administration must defend domestic steel production, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) said during an April 16 U.S. House Ways and Means Committee hearing addressing trade.
Rep. Kelly called on the Biden administration to deter unfair trade practices by foreign nations and to utilize fair trade policies to protect domestic Grain Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) production, which he called a critical part of distribution transformers and the nation’s electrical grid.
In fact, the last domestic GOES producer is located in Rep. Kelly’s home-state district at Cleveland-Cliffs Butler Works in Butler, Pa.
“For the last year, the Biden administration had been picking winners and losers in the steel industry — and shut down this facility — which would be bad for our national security, our economic security, and our steelworkers in western Pennsylvania,” Rep. Kelly said. “Our trade agenda must deter unfair trade practices by foreign nations and ensure resilience and strength in the American economy.”
The Ways and Means Committee every year holds a hearing with the U.S. Trade
Representative (USTR), and this year USTR Katherine Tai again testified to address the administration’s trade agenda.
During the hearing, Rep. Kelly and committee members addressed concerns that the Biden administration is not putting forward a trade agenda that benefits American workers, farmers, or manufacturers, according to the congressman’s staff.
Members also addressed concerns that the U.S. is losing ground to China, which they said is waging an aggressive trade agenda that negatively impacts American companies and consumers.