White House Divided on How to Deal With Cheap Steel Imports
- Some argue for tariffs, while others push for a hybrid system
- Trump says actions on foreign-made steel to come very soon
Metal components for office cubicles and furniture are stacked in a storage area after being manufactured at the Roll Forming Corp. plant in Shelbyville, Kentucky, U.S. on Monday, Jan. 6, 2014. U.S. factory orders in November rose 1.8 percent from the previous month, the Census Bureau reported.
Photographer: Luke Sharett/BloombergThe White House is divided over how hard to come down on cheap steel imports in a debate that will help set the tone for future trade policy, according to two industry representatives briefed on the discussions.
As the Commerce Department prepares to disclose its findings from an investigation into possible national-security threats posed by steel shipments, Secretary Wilbur Ross has flagged the possibility of recommending to President Donald Trump imposing new tariffs, quotas or a combination of the two.