AISI applauds retention of steel tariff

The president and CEO of the Washington-based American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has issued a statement applauding the agreement reached between the United States and the China regarding tariffs on traded goods.

Kevin Dempsey says the agreement reached by the U.S. and China to temporarily reduce some tariffs (though not the ones on steel imported into the U.S.) and continues negotiations can help eliminate the levels of tariff retaliation between the two nations.

“We applaud today’s agreement and thank President [Donald] Trump, [Treasury] Secretary [Scott] Bessent and [United States Trade Representative] Ambassador [Jamieson] Greer for their leadership in reaching this agreement, which retains important trade measures for steel," Dempsey says.

“American steel producers are all too familiar with the detrimental effects that unfair trade practices by China and other countries have had on domestic industries and their workers, and are pleased that measures to address these unfair trade practices will remain in place.”

According to Dempsey, Chinese steel production remains at record high levels even as steel demand in that country has been declining. Chinese steel exports have more than doubled since 2020, surging to 118 million metric tons in 2024—more than total North American steel production—while China’s steel imports have dropped by almost 80 percent.

He also says that through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese government also is encouraging cross-border investments by Chinese steel producers that are resulting in additional export-oriented steelmaking capacity outside of China—particularly in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Vietnam.

"AISI appreciates that the Section 232 steel tariffs and the Section 301 tariffs on steel from China will remain fully in effect under this new agreement," Dempsey says. "This is significant for our industry, which is essential to America’s national and economic security.”