Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Applauding The Biden Administration Announcement Of Mexico To Prevent China And Other Countries From Evading Tariffs On Steel And Aluminum

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor praising the Biden Administration's new joint actions with Mexico to stop unfair trade practices and prevent China and other countries from evading tariffs on steel and aluminum imported through Mexico. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

This morning, the Biden Administration announced new joint actions with Mexico to prevent China and other countries from evading tariffs on steel and aluminum imported through Mexico.

For years, America’s steel & aluminum industry has been harmed by the Chinese Communist Party’s schemes to flood markets with products that are artificially cheapened thanks to subsidies from the Chinese Communist Party. One of the most common ways the CCP avoids tariffs and launders its steel into the U.S. market is through Mexico.

Earlier this year, I visited a steel producer in Central New York – Nucor Steel in Auburn, New York – many good paying jobs in that beautiful plant. I visited the plant to bring attention to a dangerous pattern in our steel industry.

I called then on the Administration to take action to stop the steel surge from China, by preventing the CCP from using Mexico as a backdoor entrance into the US. 

I’m glad to see this morning that the Biden Administration responded to my concern, by taking action to strengthen U.S. steel and aluminum. We have some very fine aluminum plants in Upstate New York as well.

This announcement is a major step towards protecting U.S. markets from being flooded with cheap, Chinese-made steel and aluminum imported through Mexico.

The Chinese Communist Party’s unfair trade practices have devastated companies and union steel workers across the U.S. – especially in industrial America, places like Auburn in Central New York and Massena in the North Country who simply aren’t competing on a level playing field.

The CCP’s behavior also endangers our national security because it weakens our domestic supply chains used by our military and transportation systems.

So, the Administration’s action is great news for America’s safety and for communities in states like New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and others, who know the grief of watching manufacturing jobs leaving for China.

I applaud the Administration for taking action to stop the Chinese Communist Party’s unfair trade practices, and we will keep working to make sure American workers, manufacturers, and industrial regions are not left behind on the world stage.

And just one other note, Upstate New York has a major role in convincing America and their Senators about China’s unfair practices. When I visited Crucible Steel up in Syracuse in 2003, the owner said to me, “China is manipulating it’s currency, it makes it much harder for me to sell steel abroad and makes it easier for China to compete with me here in America.”

Senator Graham and I back then teamed up and worked and worked and worked to see that this manipulation of currency – which affected steel – was put to an end. And we've made some significant progress. There's still more to make, even now.

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