AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement today in response to the announcement that the United States and European Union have reached an interim arrangement on Section 232 steel and aluminum relief measures:
For years, union members in the steel and aluminum sectors have fought hard to address global overcapacity and the lack of investment in our infrastructure and industrial competitiveness. The Biden administration’s announcement on an interim arrangement on Section 232 tariffs is good news for workers, domestic producers, climate ambition and our national security. It will ensure U.S. domestic industries remain competitive while committing the United States and European Union to work together to address the root of the problem: Chinese state subsidies and global overcapacity in the steel and aluminum sectors.
The relief measure establishes a framework for the United States and European Union to lower industrial emissions and prevent unfair competition from nations that do not take similar measures. Right now, workers in the United States produce some of the cleanest steel in the world, and this deal can make that a trade advantage for us.
With America’s workers at the table, this arrangement is yet another example of how President Biden is delivering on his pledge to implement a worker-centered trade policy and why he says, “When I think climate, I think jobs.”
Contact: Sarah Clements (202) 637-5018