Australia PM: Tariffs to Increase California Building Costs

Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull warned that the steel and aluminum tariffs planned by President Trump will have consequences for construction in California. Australian producer BlueScope sends about 300,000 metric tons of steel slabs per year to its Steelscape facilities in California and Washington where it is transformed into metallic-coated and pre-painted steel used in building applications. Steelscape manufactures about 446,000 metric tons of metal-coated steel and 332,000 ton of painted steel coils annually.

The consequence of imposing a tariff on Australian steel shipped to the West Coast would simply increase the cost of building in California, Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday. “There is literally nothing to be gained by the United States … imposing a tariff.”