Trump’s Tariff Plan Leaves Blue-Collar Winners and Losers
- 6 years ago
Trump’s Tariff Plan Leaves Blue-Collar Winners and Losers
Leo W. Gerard, the president of the United Steelworkers union, which also represents aluminum workers, said his members were tired of enduring layoffs
because of an onslaught of artificially cheap steel and aluminum produced by “cheaters” in China.
“If the point is to protect American jobs, if the point is to protect small and medium-sized businesses, this is exactly the wrong way to do things.”
The mills and smelters that supply the raw material, and that would directly benefit from the tariffs, have been shrinking for years.
The tariff on aluminum, prospectively 10 percent, would allow Mr. Bless to restart some production of high-purity
aluminum for military use at Century’s plant in Hawesville, Ky., which it partly shut three years ago, he said.
“You are likely to gain jobs in a few sectors, but lose them in others.”
President George W. Bush imposed tariffs of up to 30 percent on steel imports in 2002, intending them to last three years,
but lifted them earlier than expected after European trading partners threatened to retaliate.
A tariff on imports also allows domestic steel and aluminum producers to charge higher prices, affecting manufacturers across the United States.
“We didn’t want to — and didn’t ask the administration to — alienate those countries
that don’t cheat,” Mr. Gerard said, citing Canada and European countries among the virtuous.
Leo W. Gerard, the president of the United Steelworkers union, which also represents aluminum workers, said his members were tired of enduring layoffs
because of an onslaught of artificially cheap steel and aluminum produced by “cheaters” in China.
“If the point is to protect American jobs, if the point is to protect small and medium-sized businesses, this is exactly the wrong way to do things.”
The mills and smelters that supply the raw material, and that would directly benefit from the tariffs, have been shrinking for years.
The tariff on aluminum, prospectively 10 percent, would allow Mr. Bless to restart some production of high-purity
aluminum for military use at Century’s plant in Hawesville, Ky., which it partly shut three years ago, he said.
“You are likely to gain jobs in a few sectors, but lose them in others.”
President George W. Bush imposed tariffs of up to 30 percent on steel imports in 2002, intending them to last three years,
but lifted them earlier than expected after European trading partners threatened to retaliate.
A tariff on imports also allows domestic steel and aluminum producers to charge higher prices, affecting manufacturers across the United States.
“We didn’t want to — and didn’t ask the administration to — alienate those countries
that don’t cheat,” Mr. Gerard said, citing Canada and European countries among the virtuous.