Trade Cases
July 13, 2017
Would Section 232 Be Good for Business?
Written by Tim Triplett
The controversial Section 232 tariffs/quota expected to be proposed by the Trump administration against foreign steel imports elicited many strong opinions from respondents to SMU’s July 5 flat rolled steel market trends survey. Only 22 percent said they feel duties of 20 percent or more on foreign sources of supply would be good for their business. About 44 percent believe it would be bad for business, while another 34 percent feel it would have no impact. Sixty-three percent of respondents believe that if President Trump places restrictive duties on steel imports, there could be a shortage of supply in the U.S. market.
SMU surveys manufacturers, service centers, toll processors, trading companies and mills. Following is a sampling of their most insightful comments:
