“Eliminating the steel tariffs now would undermine the viability of our industry," the Steel Manufacturers Association, the American Iron and Steel Institute, the union and other domestic industry groups wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden.

"Global steel overcapacity has only increased during the pandemic, and past economic crises have led to devastating import surges as other nations dumped their excess steel into the U.S. market,” they said. 

The groups also countered arguments that the tariffs should be lifted to increase supplies and reduce prices. 

“Opponents of the steel tariffs argue that they should be eliminated to increase supply, given the current environment of rising prices and long lead times. This ignores the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented, but temporary, challenges to global supply chains in many industries … as manufacturers respond to rapid and unpredictable shifts in customer demand and logistical difficulties," they said. 

“The same is true for steel. Indeed, virtually every steel market around the world is experiencing record high prices and long local lead times,” they wrote. 

You can find the full letter here.