The US Department of Commerce has been inundated with requests from American businesses demanding tariff protection. Following a near-100% success rate in a previous round, about 700 new products have been proposed for inclusion on the “steel derivatives” tariff list, signaling a growing protectionist appetite.
This second consultation in three months has attracted pleas from a wide rangeof companies. An Indiana-based bike manufacturer, Guardian Bikes, submitted a detailed 11-page letter. A major tomato-canning company, Red Gold, submitted a 12-page request. They are joined by firms making truck wheels, mattress springs, and 200 different industrial machines.
The core argument from these companies is one of fairness. Red Gold, for instance, complained it pays a 25% tariff on tinplate steel from the UK and 50% from elsewhere. However, foreign competitors can import finished tin-plated cans with “no comparable tariff,” allowing them to undercut domestic producers.
This campaign is creating significant anxiety for international exporters. European firms, which already operate under trade deals with high steel tariffs (25% for the UK, 50% for the EU), now fear these new “derivative” levies will be stacked on top. This, they argue, makes a mockery of the agreements.
Experts, such as George Riddell of Flint Global, note the US is taking a “liberal, expansive approach” to these requests, with almost zero rejections last time. A decision on this new batch of 700 items is expected in December or January, threatening to hit exporters globally, from the UK to Italy.
US Commerce Dept Faces Deluge of Tariff Requests from American Firms
