In a bold and decisive move, the Biden administration has unveiled a groundbreaking joint effort with Mexico to thwart China's attempts to circumvent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. This adamantine amity, forged between the two North American neighbors, represents a formidable bulwark against Beijing's beguiling bids to undermine the United States' industrial might.
The crux of this agreement lies in the implementation of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that are not melted or poured in Mexico. This strategic maneuver effectively closes a loophole that had previously allowed Chinese metals to enter the U.S. market through Mexico, undercutting American workers and industries.
Chinese steel and aluminum entering the U.S. market through Mexico evades tariffs, undermines our investments, and harms American workers in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, remarked Lael Brainard, the esteemed Director of the White House's National Economic Council, in a call with reporters.
The tariffs, which will be levied through Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, will be set at 25% for steel and 10% for aluminum, ensuring a robust deterrent against the influx of these foreign metals. According to the Biden administration, the U.S. imported a staggering 3.8 million metric tons of steel from Mexico last year, with a concerning 13% of that volume originating from elsewhere.
The announcement of this adamantine amity has been met with a chorus of praise from Pennsylvania lawmakers, who have long championed the cause of protecting American workers and industries from the perils of unfair trade practices.
Western Pennsylvania and our people made the steel that built America, but bad trade policies tried to strip our region for parts and ship solid, union jobs overseas, declared U.S. Representative Chris Deluzio (D-17th District) in a statement. President Biden's announcement today takes dead aim at Communist China's exploitation of loopholes that allowed foreign steel and aluminum into the country through Mexico, undercutting our workers and industries here at home.
