“The (tariff) negotiations that are going on have really brought to the forefront a lot of countries that are talking about addressing the underlying issue, which is global overcapacity, as well as how to deal with it,” Newport said, speaking during a press conference at AISTech 2018, AIST’s annual conference and exposition.

The conference is taking place this week in Philadelphia, Pa., USA, and concludes Thursday. Newport on Tuesday morning accepted the AIST William T. Hogan, S.J. Lecture Award and delivered the keynote speech during the annual President’s Award Breakfast.   

During the speech, Newport reiterated that President Trump’s steel tariffs are not protectionist. 

“This is not about protectionism. In fact, many countries around the world already offer their own subsidies of many kinds,” he told the audience. 

“Trade actions are also important for our national security and the security of economic growth in our country. And consistent with the philosophy of this award today, our steel industry plays a vital role in economic development here in the U.S.,” he said.

Although Newport's speech touched on the Section 232 tariff, he focused more closely on the ways in which the industry in general and AK Steel specifically is offering innovative and sustainable steel solutions.

That, he said, was evident during the Detroit auto show in January.

"Steel was a huge part of the buzz throughout the show," he said. 

"Members of the media, car enthusiasts and the automakers themselves talked about the benefits of performance and value of advanced high-strength steels. And even auto advertising touted steel’s benefits over other materials, like aluminum," he said.