Chief executives from three steel companies in the US told members of the Congressional Steel Caucus that the government needs to dramatically improve policies on trade, investment in the workforce, and infrastructure, to ensure competitiveness and preserve American jobs in steel and other manufacturing sectors. As members of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Mario Longhi, president and CEO of United States Steel Corporation; John Ferriola, chairperson, CEO and president of Nucor Corporation; and, Mike Rippey, chairperson of the Board of Directors of AISI and chairperson of ArcelorMittal USA, testified before nearly two dozen congressman from steel producing states. The CEOs strongly emphasised that the industry continues to face the challenge of continuing high levels of unfairly traded imports.
Photo courtesy of American Iron and Steel Institute
The CEOs opined that foreign government support of their steel industries has resulted in a glut of global steel production, which, coupled with a disregard for international trade rules has led to the dumping of steel products in the US market. They claimed that this had led to American steel companies are being irreparably harmed with plant shutdowns and layoffs. They also emphasised on the need to invest in STEM education to get young people to think about manufacturing as a viable career and develop engineering talent and a skilled and competitive workforce.
