President Biden heads to Pittsburgh, calls for higher steel tariffs

President Biden's visit to Pittsburgh marks the second of three stops on a swing through the key battleground state of Pennsylvania this week.

President Joe Biden is expected to call for higher tariffs to combat Chinese practices in the aluminum and steel industries while in Pittsburgh Wednesday at the United Steelworkers headquarters during an economic-focused blitz through the battleground state of Pennsylvania.  

President Biden will call on the office of the United States Trade Representative to consider tripling tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum imports; direct work with Mexico to prevent tariff evasion; announce the United States Trade Representative will investigate China’s trade practices in shipbuilding, maritime and logistics; and maintain support for domestic ownership of U.S. Steel.  

“China’s policy driven over capacity poses a serious risk to the future of the American steel and aluminum industry. China cannot export its way to recovery. China is simply too big to play by its own rules,” said national economic adviser Lael Brainard.   

While the White House touts President Biden’s trade and investment agenda as protective from unfair competition, officials also acknowledge what they view as unfair Chinese trade practices. 

“In manufacturing sectors like steel, China's already producing more than China or the world can easily absorb. China's subsidies and other forms of support lead to exports flooding global markets at artificially low prices, undercutting American steel that is cleaner,” Brainard said.