The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) lauded an innovative agreement made between the United States and Canada to build a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor, called the New International Trade Crossing, a development that the North American steel industry and its major customers groups, including automakers, have aggressively advocated for over the past five years.

The new bridge will provide an alternate route for an intensely busy commercial transportation corridor, which carries one-fourth of the goods traded between the U.S. and Canada each year. 

“This is a tremendously positive development and a breakthrough to develop significant new infrastructure to support essential cross-border trade,” AISI President and CEO Thomas J. Gibson, said.  “This historic agreement will streamline and improve automotive and other cross-border supply chains in each country, which require a seamless flow of goods in order to meet just-in-time delivery schedules.  It will alleviate congestion at the US/Canada border, and ensure that supplies reach American manufacturers in a timely and efficient manner.” 

“With this agreement we are embarking on an important new level of joint cooperation between the U.S. and Canada.  We commend Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Prime Minister Stephen Harper for establishing this productive new partnership,” Gibson said   “Our North American steel industry, as well as the two governments, auto makers and other industries, have insisted for years that another crossing is required at Windsor-Detroit to eliminate long lineups of trucks leading up to the bridge and causing costly delays.  We are particularly pleased that the project will require that all steel and other construction materials must be of either U.S. or Canadian origin, a provision that will ensure the bridge is constructed from quality materials while supporting high-value U.S. and Canadian jobs.  The New International Trade Crossing will greatly enhance industry competitiveness and facilitate intra-NAFTA trade.”

AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice.  AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology.  AISI is comprised of 25 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 124 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.  AISI's member companies represent over three quarters of both U.S. and North American steel capacity.