Continued feedback on steel/aluminum tariffs

NAFEM president writes to WI Senator Ron Johnson; Advocacy Toolkit helps members reach out

As Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum continue, and the backlog of exclusion requests climbs, it continues to be important for elected officials to hear from NAFEM and its members about how these tariffs are negatively impacting their businesses.

To help keep the industry’s point-of-view front and center, NAFEM President Joe Carlson, CFSP, president, Lakeside Manufacturing, Milwaukee, Wisc., recently sent a letter to Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI). Senator Johnson held roundtable discussions in the summer with manufacturers in his state – including NAFEM members Hatco and Vollrath. Following the roundtables, the Senator sent a letter to President Trump stating that, “There is permanent damage already being done to U.S. and Wisconsin businesses because of the trade war.” He further urged the President “to understand the plight of business during this period of extreme uncertainty and do everything in your power to return certainty and stability to global markets.”

As a follow-up to the roundtables and Senator Johnson’s letter to the White House, Joe wrote that the tariffs are “making it more expensive to produce the equipment and supplies that feed our troops, create family memories, nourish school children and nurture the sick.” He “urged the administration to quickly work to negotiate trade solutions that do not include tariffs that tax manufacturers and ultimately hurt American workers and consumers.”

To continue to help elected officials, including President Trump, understand how the steel and aluminum tariffs are affecting their businesses, members can use the NAFEM Advocacy Toolkit to contact their local, state and federal officials. The toolkit includes a link to contact information, as well as talking points and emails members can easily and quickly customize.