President Donald Trump Meets With Steel And Aluminum Industry Leaders | NBC News
We're. Just humble to be here. Thank. You very much everybody, I'm. Honored to be here with our incredible, steel and, aluminum workers. And. You are truly the backbone. This. Is an NBC, News special report. Here's. Lester, Holt good, day everyone we're coming on the air to bring you live coverage of, President Trump announcing. His intention to go forward, with his controversial, plan to impose tariffs, on steel and, aluminum, imports, he's, about to sign a proclamation to, that effect let's take you to the Roosevelt, Room now live Ross. Peter. Navarro. Mike. Pence, our great vice president, they've worked so hard on. Getting. This going and getting it done and people. Are starting to realize how important, it is we have to. Protect and build our steel and aluminium industries. While. At the same time showing, great flexibility. And cooperation. Toward. Those that are really friends. Of ours, both. On a trade, basis, and a military basis, a strong. Steel and aluminum industry are vital to our national security absolutely. Vital. Steel. Is steel you don't have steel you don't have a country, our. Industries, have been targeted. For years, and years, decades. In, fact by. Unfair, foreign trade practices, leading to the, shuttered. Plants, and mills. The. Laying off of millions. Of workers and the. Decimation, of entire. Communities, and. That's. Going to stop right, it's, going to stop. This. Is not, merely an economic, disaster but, it's a security, disaster. We. Want to build our ships we want to build our planes we want to build our military. Equipment, with steel with aluminum from. Our country. And. Now we're finally taking action to correct this, long, overdue, problem. It's. A travesty. Today, I'm defending. America's, national, security. By. Placing, tariffs, on foreign imports of steel, and, aluminum. We. Will have a 25%, tariff, on foreign steel. And. A 10% tariff. On foreign aluminum. When. The product comes across our borders. It's. A process called dumping. And. They. Dumped, more than at, any time. On. Any nation. Anywhere. In the world and. It. Drove our plants out of business it drove our factories, out of business and. We want a lot, of steel, coming into our country but we. Want it to be fair and we, want our workers to be protected, and we want frankly our companies, to be protected, by, contrast, we will, not. Place any, new, tax on product, made. In the USA so there's, no tax if a product is made in the USA you don't want to pay tax. Bring. Your plant to the USA, there's no tax. Which. We will benefit, from the massive, tax cuts that we have in, place, we. Have passed the largest tax, cut plan in the country's history and. That. Has caused. Really. Tremendous, success between that and regulation, cutting and I think maybe regulation. Cutting. Every bit as much and we have a long way to go on regulations. But we've already cut more than any president in history, so.
We're Urging all companies. To. Buy American. That's what we want by American, the. Action, that I'm taking today follows, a nine-month investigation. By. The Department of Commerce, secretary. Ross. Documenting. A growing crisis, in our steel and aluminum, production, that. Threatens, the security of our nation and. Also is, bad, for us economically and, with jobs, the. American, steel aluminum industry has, been ravaged, by, aggressive. Foreign, trade, practices. It's. Really an assault on our country it's. Been an assault they. Know better than anybody, other. Countries have added production capacity. That far exceeds demand, and. Flooded, the world market, with cheap metal. That is subsidized, by, foreign governments, creating. Jobs for their country, and taking away jobs, from. Our country I've been talking about this for a long time a lot longer than my political, career I've, been talking about this for many years for. Example it takes China, about. One month to produce as much steel as. They. Produce in, the United States in an entire year, because. We've closed down so much capacity. Plants. Closed all over the United States and, some, plants I see, massive. Plants. From 40 years ago and they're working now in a little corner of the building, well. We're going to get those buildings, open again and producing. Again and that's. Going to be a great thing for our country and, this, is only the first stop. Aluminum. Imports, now account, for more than 90 percent of, the primary. American. Demand over. The last two decades nearly, two-thirds of, American. Raw steel companies, have gone out of business more. Than one-third of the steel jobs have disappeared. Six. Primary, aluminum. Smelters, which, is a big deal have. Permanently. Shut down since. Just 2012. The. Actions we're taking today are not a matter of choice, they're. A matter, of necessity, for. Our security. We're. Already seeing the national security, benefits, of this order yesterday an anticipation. That. We'd be here today. US. Steel announced, its reopening a mill in Illinois, a big one and recalling. Five hundred workers immediately. That's. Going on all over the country and by the way it, went on with, solar panels which we did three. Months ago and washing. Machines where. They were dumping, washing, machines all over our country and now, they're expanding plants, to make washing, machines we put the tax on a lot of you were here a skilled. Trained, workforce and, steel is a crucial. Element of, America's. National security and, must, be protected. After. The signing of this, lemay ssin. Sensually. Aluminum. In Kentucky century is a great company. We'll. Be investing, over 100, million dollars to restart, an upgrade their idled. Military-grade. High-quality. Aluminum production. Which. Is also critically, important, to our national security. That's. 150, thousand, additional tons, of aluminum and. Think. Of it this, is a closed plant and now they're doing, 150,000, tons. Production. And an additional, 300, workers and, ultimately. Many more hired in the great state of Kentucky a. Package. Of, sometimes. $90,000. Per worker our greatest presidents. All understood, from. Washington, to Lincoln to Jackson, to. Teddy Roosevelt, that. America, must have a strong vibrant and independent. Meck manufacturing. Base has to have it President. McKinley who. Felt very very strongly about this. The. Country was very very successful. We. Actually operated, out of cash flow if you can believe it. The. Protective, tariff policy, of the Republicans. He said has. Made the lives of masses, of our countrymen, sweeter and brighter. And brighter and brighter, it. Is the best for. Our citizenship. And our civilization and, it, opens up a higher and better destiny, for our people. Many. Politicians lamented. The decline, of our once proud industries. And many countries denounced. Global excess capacity. But. No one took action, all of our politicians, they saw what was happening to our country I've seen it for 25, years I've been talking about it talked, about Japan talked, about China.
But. The politicians, never did anything about it but now they are our. Factories. Were. Left to rot and to rust all, over the place, thriving. Communities, turned into ghost towns you. Guys know that right. Not. Any longer the workers who poured their souls into building this great nation were, betrayed. But. That betrayal. Is now, over. I'm. Delivering on a promise I, made during the campaign and I've been making it for a. Good. Part of my life if, I ever did this, I never really, thought I would I said. Let's, run for president, and, look what happened and part. Of the reason it happened is you and. My. Message, having. To do with you another message is also security. Military the. Wall the border a lot, of good messages, but this was one of the most important. My. Most important, job is to keep. American. People safe and. As. You know we just had, approved, a 700 billion dollar military budget, the. Largest ever, 716. Billion dollars, next year that means not only safety, but it means jobs. It. Also means the use of steel from our country, but. If the same goals. Can, be accomplished, by other. Means America, will remain open. To, modifying, or removing. The tariffs, for, individual. Nations as long as we can agree on a way to ensure, that their products, no longer threaten our. Security. So. I've put. Ambassador. Light, Heiser great, gentlemen in charge, of negotiating. With countries, that seek an alternative, to the steel and aluminum, tariffs. The. Fact is we've been treating really, I mean we've been treated so badly over the years by. Other. Countries I think really we've been treated very badly by. Our politicians, by our presidents, by, people. That represented, us that didn't frankly know what they were doing and. We. Lose. 800, billion, dollars, a year on trade. Every. Year 800. Billion. It's. Been going on for a long time three hundred billion four, hundred billion five, hundred billion, got, up to six hundred billion and. It. Keeps going but it's going to start, changing. Has to change we're. Negotiating now, with China we're in the of a big negotiation. I don't. Know that anything's gonna come of it they have been very helpful President Xi I have great respect for a lot of respect. But. I don't know that anything is going to come of that but we're, going to cut, down the but the deficits, one way or the other we have a deficit, with China of. At. Least. Five hundred billion dollars, and when. You add intellectual. Property, it's much higher than that that's a year. At. The same time due to the unique, nature of our relationship with, Canada, and Mexico we're, negotiating, right now NAFTA. And. We're going to hold off the tariff on those two countries, to see whether or not we're able to make the deal on NAFTA, national. Security, very important, aspect, of that deal and, if.
We're Making the deal and after this will figure into the deal that we won't have the tariff so in Canada or Mexico if. We don't make the deal on. NAFTA. And if we terminate, NAFTA because they're unable to make a deal that's fair for our workers and fair for our farmers, we. Love our farmers, and fair. For our manufacturers. Then. We're going to terminate NAFTA. And. We'll start all over again, or, we'll. Just do. It a different way but. Will terminate, NAFTA and that'll. Be it but I have a feeling we're going to make a deal on NAFTA, I've. Been saying it for a long time we the make a deal that we terminate and if. We do there won't be any tariffs on Canada, and there. Won't be any tariffs on Mexico. One. Other thing some, of the countries, that we're dealing with are great, partners great. Military. Allies. And we're. Going to be looking at that very strongly the tariffs don't go effective. For at least another 15, days and. We're. Going to see who's treating, us fairly who's not treating us fairly part, of that's going to be military. Who's. Paying. The bills who's not paying the bills we. Subsidize, many rich, countries, with our military they. Paid not a hundred cents on the dollar in some cases not 50 cents on the dollar and they're massively, wealthy countries, so. We have to stop that and that will enter into the equation also, very. Interesting, I saw a. Tweet. Just came in from, Elon, Musk. Who's. Using our wonderful. Space. Facilities, and did a great job. Three. Weeks ago he. Said for example an, American, car, going. To China pays 25%. Import. Duty, but. A Chinese car. Coming. To the United States only, pays 2.5%. A. Tenfold. Difference so, an American. Car going, to China think of that, pays. 25%, import. Duty, so. We send our car over there, pay. 25%, they send their car over here 2.5. Percent 10. Point that's from alone but everybody. Knows it they've. Known it for years they never did anything about it it's. Got to change we're. Going to be doing a reciprocal. Tax program, at some point so. That if China is going to charge us 25 percent or if India's going to charge us 75, percent, and we charge them nothing, if. They're at 50 or they're at 75, or they're at twenty five we're going to be at those same numbers called reciprocal, sameera tax, so. They charge us 50 we charge them 50 right now they'll charge us 50 we charge them nothing. Doesn't, work, so. That's called the reciprocal tax, or mirror tax and we're. Going to be doing a lot of that it's. We've. Really the first year we've really set the stage, a. Lot of it had to do with. Structurally. We had to go through certain. Procedures, in order to get to this point but. Now we're at this point. American. Companies have not been treated fairly and. Some. American, companies frankly, have taken advantage of, it and gone to other countries, and developed, in Mexico, massive, automobile, plants. Taking. Our jobs. Away and taking our companies. Down to Mexico to make the cars and then they send them right across the border. Without. Tax, without. Anything, so. We lose the jobs they, make the cars they, get all the benefits, and they sell the cars back into the United States, so. We're changing things and. We. Have a lot of great relationships I think companies, are. Gonna be very happy in. The end I think. That countries. Are going to be very happy we're going to show great flexibility. And again. Many. Of. The. Countries, that treat us the, worst on trade, and on military are our. Allies. As they like to call them, so. We just want fairness, we. Just want fairness we. Want everything to be. Reciprocal. And I. Think in the end we're. Gonna have a lot of great jobs, who could have a lot of great companies. All. Coming back into our country. You see it the. Other day Chrysler, announced they're leaving Mexico they're coming back into Michigan, with a big plant you. Haven't seen that a long time folks, you, haven't seen that in a long time so, because, I sort of grew up with this. Group. Of people I know a lot about this steel industry, and I know a lot about the aluminum industry we're gonna bring them back I thought, maybe a few you might like to say a couple of words and, there's, only about 25.
Million People watching so don't worry about if you want to say something come on up. My. Name is dusty Stevens, I work at a house mill Kentucky. Right. Now we're running at 40% capacity two, years ago we. Shut down 60% of the capacity, when we had a downturn in the market, my. Father worked in the industry and worked at that plant for 40 years so this heart hits home, for. All of us at Hallsville. But. These tariffs going into place. This. Gives us ability, to. Come back to 100 percent capacity. Invest. In over 100 million dollars to our plant and. Over. Three. Hundred and some odd jobs will, be brought back to the communities, so. I like to say thank you thank you very much thank, you. President. Trump flanked. By workers, steal, a woman industry, as the president, is about to sign a proclamation, nearly. Making, official, that. Surprise, announcement of last week that he will go forward with a tariffs. 25%. On imported, steel 10%. Unimportant. Aluminum, as you know he's gotten a lot of pushback even. From within his own party even, his own administration. About where, this may lead in terms of igniting, a trade war let's go to our chief White House correspondent Hallie. Jackson she, is in the West. Wing briefing, room Hallie. What's. The next step here, 15. Days from now Lester that's the next step because that is when these tariffs are expected, to go into place but, I'll tell you what there will likely be a lot of activity, and a lot of jockeying over the next roughly, two weeks until March 23rd, and here's why you, heard one of the most critical pieces of the president's, announcement there, is that both Canada and Mexico, will, be exempt. From these frankly, punishing, new tariffs, for yet, to be determined period, of time so for, a little while basically, Canada, and Mexico won't, have to pay these. Tariffs, that is because the United States is in the midst of renegotiating, NAFTA so, senior, administration officials, have told us that the president is looking to use this essentially, as, leverage. Those are my words not theirs in those negotiations so. Canada, Mexico not. Part of this the markets are happy about that that is something that investors had wanted to see but what about these other allies, because remember the, criticism, of these tariffs, had been and you've heard this line from for example Republicans. On Capitol Hill that the president was using a sledgehammer when, he should be using a scalpel Republicans. Had been calling for something more targeted, the president is leaving open the possibility that. Other countries. Could also be exempt Lester that's what we'll see in the next 15 days Hallie Jackson thanks, the president saying he's defending, national security. By this decision. Today but again noting that. There will, consider. Relief. For those that are really friends, in a trade and military basis, we'll have a lot more we see it tonight on NBC. Nightly News for, now I'm Lester Holt NBC. News New York. Anybody. Else anybody, else you're. Okay, users gonna accept, great, jobs right, you're. Gonna be very happy you're gonna see things changing. Very rapidly so. It's. Really my honor to. Start. This process it's. Going to be a very fair process it's going to be very fair to other countries, especially those, that treat us well and. We. Look forward to it and we look forward to having lots of mills opening up lots of plants opening up both steel, and aluminum and other, things, we'll. Be doing other things very, positive, things but. You are great people would, you like to take a picture in the Oval Office I assume you've all been many times into the Oval Office come. On let's, go and do that let's, go and do this yes, I'm gonna do well. Go into the Oval Office we're going to sign this up we'll go into the Oval Office to have a picture okay okay.
About. Time right. Let's. Go take a picture in the Oval Office kay yes sir. Thank. You very much everybody. We're, gonna stop the trip, before we let it happen but they got to pay so. Transshipping, Frank bail is. A big deal, china. Says it's at 2% but it says much more you, have a great relationship hopefully. With China but we have to do something. We're losing with China, 500. Billion, dollars a year we have to do something and. They tranche it and, we're. Going to accept their product but. It's. Gonna cost a lot of money from the, standpoint of the trans shipper, thank. You very much everybody.
2018-03-10 17:01
