President Trump can strengthen the canned food industry by signing a presidential proclamation establishing duty-free treatment of imported tin mill steel.
WASHINGTON, DC – February 5, 2025 – A broad coalition of U.S.-based canned food producers and U.S. metal can makers is calling on President Donald Trump to provide immediate relief from tariffs and quotas. Overly broad trade protection measures are negatively impacting American canned food industry stakeholders and U.S. consumers, and putting our nation’s food security at risk.
“Tariffs and other broad trade tools can make America great again, but there are unintended consequences for our nation’s food security when a tariff is placed on tinplate steel,” said Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) President Robert Budway. “Domestic production of tin mill steel used to make cans for fruits, vegetables, and other essential foods Americans consume daily declined dramatically over the last 7 years. 70% of the tin mill steel needed to make canned products is imported today. President Trump should support American farmers, food producers, and consumers by removing all tariffs on tin mill steel.”
Contrary to the intent of 232 tariffs, America’s tin mill steel producers shut down nine tin mill lines after the imposition of the 2018 Section 232 tariffs. Today, only three domestic production lines remain open in the United States and make up approximately 1% of total steel production. The combination of tariffs and attenuated production has artificially driven up the cost of producing canned foods. Without a tariff exemption, American-produced canned products will remain vulnerable to imports from China, and other low-cost producers. President Trump can strengthen the canned food industry by signing a presidential proclamation establishing duty-free treatment of imported tin mill steel.
“U.S. can makers take great pride in producing the high-quality metal packaging for food, but unfortunately American can makers have become net tin mill steel importers, which comes at serious risk to our food and national security,” Budway said. “Targeted tariff relief will ensure steel food cans, and the products packaged in those cans, continue to be ‘Made in America.'”
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Contact: Tim Ebner, CMI’s director of marketing and communications | Email: tebner@cancentral.com