WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), along with Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Representatives Carol Miller (R-W.Va.-01), Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.-02), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio-06), and Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.-01), sent a letter expressing support for the antidumping and countervailing duty petitions recently filed by Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steelworkers.

Cleveland-Cliffs produces tin mill steel at its facility in Weirton, W.Va., employing more than 950 individuals. Although the Weirton facility was recently productive, they have seen production nearly grind to a halt due to foreign competition.

“Unfortunately, the domestic tin mill market has been overrun by imports from the countries at issue in this proceeding,” the lawmakers wrote. "Census data indicates that from 2019 to 2021, tin mill product imports from the subject countries increased by over 21%. Subsequently, tin mill imports from these subject countries, through November 2022, increased by an additional 21%.”

"Despite domestic investment and the dedication of skilled workers at Weirton, the increasing trend of high-volume imports of these products at unfair trading prices threaten to shut the Weirton facility and severely impact the livelihoods of its more than 950 employees,” the lawmakers continued. “It is our understanding that the future of the facility rests on the outcome of this trade case." 

The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Chairman Johanson and Assistant Secretary Wang:

We write to express our support for the antidumping and countervailing duty petitions recently filed by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (Cleveland-Cliffs) and the United Steelworkers (USW). The antidumping petitions cover imports of tin mill products from eight countries including China, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Turkey. The countervailing duty petition covers imports from China. 

Cleveland-Cliffs produces tin mill steel at its facility in Weirton, West Virginia, employing more than 950 individuals—the majority of whom are represented by the USW. The jobs provided at this facility are important to the social and economic well-being of the West Virginia panhandle and Eastern Ohio.

As you may know, tin mill product is used to produce tin cans and other forms of food packaging that must follow specific and rigorous processing requirements. Thus, the maintenance of domestic tin mill production capabilities is necessary to protect our nation’s food security.

Cleveland-Cliffs acquired the Weirton facility from ArcelorMittal in 2020 and has invested more than $50 million since the beginning of 2021 to improve and optimize Weirton’s production capabilities.  Unfortunately, the domestic tin mill market has been overrun by imports from the countries at issue in this proceeding. Census data indicates that from 2019 to 2021, tin mill product imports from the subject countries increased by over 21%. Subsequently, tin mill imports from these subject countries, through November 2022, increased by an additional 21%.

Despite domestic investment and the dedication of skilled workers at Weirton, the increasing trend of high-volume imports of these products at unfair trading prices threaten to shut the Weirton facility and severely impact the livelihoods of its more than 950 employees. It is our understanding that the future of the facility rests on the outcome of this trade case.

We urge you to thoroughly pursue this investigation and carefully consider the submissions of our domestic tin mill steel producers as you move promptly to preliminary determinations that can stem the flow of unfairly traded tin mill steel into the United States.

Thank you for your consideration of this important and time-sensitive matter.

Sincerely,

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