“That’s pretty extraordinary considering the recent history in the industry,” said alliance president Scott Paul, speaking during a panel discussion at the 2018 MetCoke World Summit. The annual conference for coke industry participants concluded Thursday in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA.

Paul also said the trade measure, coupled with the overall strength in the economy, is allowing steel shipments and capacity utilization to rise.

“The 232 is starting to have its desired effect on the U.S. industry,” he said.

On a related front, Paul said he believes it is unlikely that Canadian and Mexican steel imports will continue to face tariffs through adoption of the new North American trade agreement. The more likely outcome, he said, is that some type of quota system will be applied to steel from those countries.

Also during the conference, attendees heard from Department of Commerce deputy assistant secretary Matthew S. Borman, who said that steel users have filed 49,000 requests t o be excluded. Of those requests, he said, 23,000 have been reviewed, and, of those, 12,000 exclusions have been granted.