Congressional Steel Caucus Sends Letter to Administration in Support of Section 232 Steel Tariffs

Washington, DC – Recently, Rep. Frank Mrvan, Vice Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, along with Congressional Steel Caucus Chairman Rick Crawford (AR-01), sent a letter to the Administration urging them to uphold Section 232 steel tariffs in trade negotiations.

Specifically, the letter to the Secretary of the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative expresses concern over the inability to reach a multi-lateral agreement to contain global excess steel capacity and missteps in past agreements that allowed for global steel oversupply to flood the U.S. market. 

Vice Chairman Mrvan stated, “The Section 232 steel tariffs are critical for our national security and the economic strength of the American steel industry, including the members of the United Steelworkers and all members of organized labor and our workforce.  I look forward to continuing to work with the members of the Congressional Steel Caucus to uphold the Section 232 program and ensure that the American steel industry can compete on a level playing field.”

Chairman Crawford stated, “The Congressional Steel Caucus continues to support Section 232 steel tariffs to put the American steel industry first for our economic and national security. It is vital that the Administration’s trade negotiations safeguard Section 232 to ensure our steel industry is on a level playing field internationally and prevent unfair trade practices by bad actors.”

The text of the letter is below and a pdf is available here.

Dear Secretary Lutnick and Ambassador Greer,

As Chairman and Vice Chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Steel Caucus, we write in strong support of the American steel industry and its workers, and we urge you to uphold a robust Section 232 steel program as you engage in negotiations with our trading partners. The domestic steel industry, which includes producers and fabricators, provides for thousands of good-paying jobs across the country and serves as the backbone for the automotive manufacturing, construction, defense, energy, and transportation industries.  In order to preserve the health and strength of this critical industry, we must ensure that there are adequate protections and policies in place to allow domestic steelmakers and their workers to compete not just in the U.S. but globally.

Since implementation in 2018, Section 232 measures have been integral in countering unfair trade practices.  However, the inability to reach a multi-lateral agreement to contain global excess steel capacity, driven by non-market economies, combined with past agreements that were not dynamic enough to respond to surges weakened the program’s effectiveness and allowed for global steel oversupply to quickly flood the U.S. market. It is clear that there must be more robust protections in place.

Now is not the time to waver on our shared commitment to a strong and sustainable American steel industry.  Global market conditions are becoming increasingly challenging, with weakening demand coinciding with continued, unchecked capacity expansion.  The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently projected that global steel overcapacity will grow by nearly 120 million metric tons in the coming years—reaching a staggering 721 million metric tons by 2027.  To put this in perspective, that figure is roughly nine times the total U.S. steel production in 2024.  In combination with stagnant demand, overcapacity is driving a sustained surge in exports from countries that produce far more than they consume.  Notably, exports from China hit a record 118 million metric tons in 2024, displacing production globally.

We support the Administration’s efforts thus far to protect American steel production through the strengthening and expansion of Section 232 measures and encourage you to regularly update the Steel Caucus on your efforts.  The Section 232 program is critical to the steel industry and to U.S. national security.  We urge you not to accept any arrangements that will weaken the program and undermine the President’s national security objectives.  Additionally, we urge you to continue promoting policies that crack down on unfair trade practices, close prior loopholes that have directly harmed domestic producers, and allow the American steel industry and its workers to thrive.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued commitment to supporting the critical national security imperative of maintaining a strong and healthy domestic steel industry.

Sincerely, 

Rep. Eric A. ‘Rick’ Crawford - Chairman

Rep. Frank J. Mrvan - Vice Chairman

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The Congressional Steel Caucus is a bipartisan group of over 100 Members of Congress dedicated to supporting the health and strength of the American steel industry and its workforce.