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U.S. Steel Executives Visit Capitol Hill, Discuss Manufacturing Issues
07/16/2013 - CEOs and senior executives from the U.S. steel industry were in Washington, D.C. today meeting with members of Congress and administration officials to press the case for manufacturing and, specifically, the domestic steel industry.
As members of the Board of Directors of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Michael T. Rehwinkel, executive chairman of EVRAZ North America; John J. Ferriola, CEO and president of Nucor Corporation; Guilherme Johannpeter, president of Gerdau Long Steel North America; Michael S. Williams, senior vice president -- strategic planning and business development at U.S. Steel Corporation; and Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI, urged the government officials with whom they met to take proactive measures to defend the U.S. steel industry against trade-distorting practices.
In meetings with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), as well as newly-confirmed U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco J. Sánchez, the steel executives stressed that the U.S. steel industry faces significant challenges to remain internationally competitive. The executives also held a media availability at the AISI offices in Washington.
Rehwinkel, AISI board chairman, said, “We shared data on import trends in our industry and made a compelling case for policy initiatives like the ENFORCE Act, currency manipulation and disciplines on state-owned enterprises. Our meetings were very constructive and generally everyone agreed that Congress and the Administration need to help defend the U.S. steel industry against unfair trade practices.”
Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO, AISI, agreed, adding, “While trade and imports were our primary focus today, we also reiterated the importance of maintaining pro-manufacturing corporate tax provisions to reduce the overall tax burden on manufacturers. Incentivizing investments in manufacturing plants and equipment is vital to the strength of the U.S. steel industry, and to maintaining our leading role in helping drive economic resurgence.”
