Top Cut:
President Biden met with United Steelworkers (USW) members at the union headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday as he announced a series of aggressive steps his administration is taking to ensure U.S. trade policy supports workers and our communities.
Why It Matters:
Biden’s stop in the Steel City is part of a three-day Pennsylvania tour that began Tuesday with a visit to Scranton and will include a stop in Philadelphia today. He called for major strategic increases to some tariffs on steel and aluminum products from China to help curb global overcapacity. He also pushed for Mexico to address the surge of foreign-made steel and aluminum that is entering the United States from our southern border. This position contrasts sharply with that of former President Trump, who has suggested wide, sweeping, untargeted tariffs that will just end up hurting working families’ access to consumer goods. Biden also emphasized his position that U.S. Steel should remain domestically owned and operated, rather than allowing it to be sold to Japanese-owned Nippon Steel.
“Tens of thousands of good, union jobs hang in the balance as a result of illegal trade practices and corporate greed. We’re grateful that President Biden is continuing to take bold action to ensure a level playing field for American workers,” said USW International President David McCall. “By combining a firm stance on unfair trade with the work the administration has done on infrastructure, clean technology, microchips and more, President Biden is ensuring U.S. global competitiveness and widespread prosperity well into the future.”
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