Bipartisan Amendment Fights to Protect Ohio Workers, National Security

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has fought to protect Ohio workers by filing a bipartisan amendment with Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) to strengthen trade protections for U.S. steel workers in the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The amendment aims to address the threat posed by tariff circumvention activity, which could cost American companies jobs and create a serious national security threat.

Key Takeaways:

• The bipartisan amendment prioritizes U.S. jobs and national security by directing the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to enter into negotiations with Canada and Mexico to ensure that the national security of the United States is not impaired through the importation of GOES core parts, laminations, and cores for use in our electric grid transformers.
• The amendment would require USTR to submit a status report to Congress every 90 days until Mexico and Canada agree to measures that will prevent the importation of GOES core parts from impairing U.S. national security.
• Cleveland-Cliffs, the largest producer of flat-rolled steel in North America and the only producer of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES), employs thousands of workers in good-paying union jobs between its plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
• If the U.S. does not address the threat posed by tariff circumvention activity, it will require American companies to buy GOES from Chinese and Russian manufacturers, costing us jobs and creating a serious national security threat.
• Domestic production of electrical steels is critical to the modernization and greening of America's electric grid and to the electrification of the American vehicle fleet.
• Cleveland-Cliffs Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lourenco Goncalves, stated that "our national security depends on goods produced from Grain Oriented Electrical Steel by UAW members in Ohio and Pennsylvania."

Statistics:

• 1,400 jobs are at risk due to tariff circumvention activity (Ray Curry, President of the United Auto Workers)
• Cleveland-Cliffs employs thousands of workers in good-paying union jobs between its plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania
• U.S. national security could be impacted if the U.S. has no choice but to buy foreign GOES products from China and Russia for things like our electrical grid (U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown)
• The USTR would be required to submit a status report to Congress every 90 days until Mexico and Canada agree to measures that will prevent the importation of GOES core parts from impairing U.S. national security

Sources:

• U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
• Senators Bill Cassidy and Bob Casey
• Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
• Ray Curry, President of the United Auto Workers
• United States Trade Representative (USTR)