Indiana Representative voices concern about steel and aluminum tariffs

U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) continues to express concern that manufacturers and small businesses seeking relief from Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs are being treated unfairly by the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) exclusion process. “Since the process was established, it has been a master class in government inefficiency and plagued by maddening inconsistency,” Rep. Walorski wrote in a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Rep. Walorski regularly updates her “Big Board” summarizing the exclusion process. According to her most recent report, 17.4 percent of steel and 33.5 percent of aluminum import exclusion requests have been granted. She also reports that about 86,000 exclusion requests have been filed by more than 1,000 companies.

To help companies apply for exclusions at its portal, DOC provides a user guide and Q&A. American businesses can request a product be excluded from tariffs if it is not available domestically in sufficient quantity or quality.

To continue to encourage the removal of the burdensome Section 232 steel and aluminum import tariffs, NAFEM is a member of the Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users. The Coalition has numerous resources available to communicate concerns about the tariffs to elected officials. The SteelBenchmarker provides a bimonthly update on global steel prices.