House Democrats Ask WH About Possible Mexican Steel TRQ
Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and four other House Democrats wrote to the president with questions about possible tariff rate quotas for Mexican steel, after reading reports that the U.S. might agree to drop 50% tariffs on Mexican steel in a TRQ arrangement.
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Deluzio, who posted the letter June 27, said he and his colleagues are concerned that "this quota would be higher than a similar agreement negotiated during your first Administration, despite the fact that steel imports from Mexico continued to surge even after that agreement."
They argued that Mexican companies pay far less than American wages and "don't have to worry about upholding basic health and safety standards, and can gain unfair competitive advantages by dumping toxins and unlimited pollution emission," and therefore, it's not fair that U.S. steelmaking should compete with Mexican products. They called NAFTA "disastrous."
They asked the White House to answer these questions:
- What is the volume of imports being considered for this potential new duty-free quota on steel imports from Mexico?
- What criteria were used to set the quota?
- With which, if any, stakeholders or Members of Congress has your Administration consulted during this Mexico steel negotiation process?