Statement Attributed to CMI President Robert Budway

U.S. steel can manufacturers applaud the 36 members of Congress that sent a letter to the Biden administration and the International Trade Commission (ITC) expressing concerns over potential new duties on tinplate steel that could threaten thousands of manufacturing jobs and jeopardize U.S. food security.

The congressional letter, led by Reps. David Rouzer (R-NC), Susan Wild (D-PA) and Andy Harris (R-MD), highlights how a pending petition from Cleveland Cliffs to impose new duties on imported tin mill steel could negatively impact U.S. manufacturing and agriculture. U.S. tin mill steel prices are already the highest in the world and any antidumping duties imposed on imported tin mill steel would increase domestic pricing to astronomical levels. A recent study commissioned by the Consumer Brands Association shows that the potential tariffs – which range up to 294 percent – could result in domestic steel can production declines of nearly 20 percent and layoff of 2,800 manufacturing jobs. If this petition were granted, domestic steel can makers may be forced to offshore manufacturing operations to offset the threat of increased imports of steel cans from China and other countries.

Cleveland Cliffs failure to adequately invest in improving its tin mill facility in Weirton, West Virginia, has precluded the company from participating in the larger, growing “drawn and iron” steel can making sector. Despite Cleveland Cliffs’ limited market participation, the company has the audacity to petition for antidumping duties on the full range of tin mill products including for those it and other domestic tin mill producers are unable to produce in sufficient quantities to serve U.S. can makers.  Currently, the U.S. steel industry produces less than 50 percent of the tinplate needed for domestic can manufacturing.  Therefore, it is imperative that additional tariffs not be imposed on steel imported from our allies to make metal cans that Americans rely on for nutritious foods and other everyday uses. This congressional letter makes clear that the Biden administration should discourage the Department of Commerce and the ITC from imposing antidumping duties on tin mill steel will lead to higher food prices for the consumer and job losses for American workers.

The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) commends the foresight of congressional letter’s cosigners to maintain the current prices consumers pay for canned products and save American jobs. CMI encourages ITC to find that imports of tin mill products have not injured Cleveland Cliffs and for the Department of Commerce to find that U.S. steel can industry’s foreign suppliers that are based in allied countries are not selling tin mill products at unfair market prices.

For more information, please contact CMI’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications Sherrie Rosenblatt (Email:  srosenblatt@cancentral.com or Phone:  202-329-0178).