WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, joined a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues, led by U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), to introduce the Securing America’s Titanium Manufacturing Act. The legislation aims to support America’s titanium supply chain and promote investment in the U.S. defense industrial base.

“West Virginia is known for its manufacturing capabilities and has a proud tradition of involvement within the titanium industry. West Virginia hosts operations that create titanium products to strengthen national security through domestic supply chains and boost our aerospace industry. This legislation would help ease costs on this vital industry, increase access to materials, and encourage economic development while maintaining U.S. authority to adjust tariffs as needed,” Senator Capito said. 

“The Securing America’s Titanium Manufacturing Act will have a positive impact on further growth of the U.S. titanium industry and solidify its role in the critical US national security supply chain. As TIMET continues to actively build and expand our titanium melting operations in Ravenswood, West Virginia, I am excited to work with Senator Shelley Moore Capito towards enactment of the bill and ensure its positive impacts will help our current and future employees in the Mountain State,” Alun Davies, General Manager of TIMET Ravenswood, said.

BACKGROUND:

The Securing America’s Titanium Manufacturing Act would remove the 15% tariff on titanium sponge imports, cutting millions of dollars in unnecessary costs for U.S. companies that produce critical defense materials.

Currently, the U.S. titanium industry imports 100% of its titanium sponge, a product which is made into titanium metals and alloys. Those materials are critical components of military fighter aircraft, submarines, satellites, and many other defense technologies. Almost 90% percent of titanium sponge is imported from Japan, a key national security partner, but an outdated tariff on titanium sponge is putting U.S. producers at a disadvantage relative to foreign titanium producers in hostile nations, including China and Russia, who do not pay this tax.

The bipartisan legislation would remove the existing 15% tariff on titanium sponge imports from nations with preferential trade status until the end of 2031. The legislation would also require the President to monitor any efforts by China or other hostile countries to move into the U.S. titanium supply chain, and would give authority to the President to reapply the tariff if it becomes necessary to support U.S. businesses, workers, or national security in the future.

The legislation is supported by TIMET, the United Steelworkers, the Aerospace Industry Association, as well as other American titanium companies. Restructuring titanium sponge tariffs to strengthen U.S. national security was also a recommendation of the Titanium Sponge Working Group, an interagency commission established under President Donald Trump, and led by the U.S. Secretaries of Defense and Commerce.

# # #