In separate letters to the Trump administration, AISI president and chief executive Thomas Gibson and MSCI president and chief executive Bob Weidner said mills and service centers are critical to the nation’s welfare and a vital link in the supply chain.  

“Steel is important to national security well beyond obvious defense applications to encompass critical infrastructure and transportation, electric power and energy generation systems, as well as water systems. Without access to a reliable source of steel production during this crisis, our national and economic security will be severely impacted,” Gibson said.

“Steel manufacturing in this country is likewise essential to the vital infrastructure necessary to combat the deepening COVID-19 crisis, as our country’s public health and welfare depend on robust access to critical infrastructure.”

You can find their letters here and here.