China Subsidies Are Haunting a U.S. Steel Industry That’s Losing Jobs
- Trump urged to make subsidies key in next round of trade talks
- Steel, aluminum lost 9,500 manufacturing jobs in December
Photographer: Ty Wright/Bloomberg
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If the latest monthly manufacturing data suggests anything, it’s that President Donald Trump’s tariffs haven’t yet solved a key issue haunting U.S. steelmakers: China’s subsidizing of its own industry.
Manufacturing jobs in December unexpectedly fell by 12,000 with a key part of the drop coming in businesses that make raw and fabricated metals. The metal-making industries accounted for a loss of 9,500 jobs, and U.S. industry groups say that without an agreement on the Chinese subsidies, more losses could be ahead.