The American Line Pipe Producers Association (ALPPA) has written to the US Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, urging him to take immediate steps to promote the use of domestically produced line pipe and structural pipe in new, retrofitted, repaired, or expanded pipelines and in various infrastructure and other construction projects in the USA.

“This is critical for the survival of our manufacturing companies and the jobs of our thousands of workers, and for the overall health of the steel industry and American manufacturing,” the ALPPA said in the letter dated 3 April 2018.

In the letter, which was signed by leading figures of the United States’ steel industry, including John Ferriola, chairman, CEO and president of Nucor Corporation; and Daniel Mull, executive vice president of ArcelorMittal USA, the signatories highlighted the fact that many US pipe mills have been forced to operate well below capacity, arguing that ‘this also harms US steel manufacturers, because domestic pipe producers buy American-made steel to manufacture their products. “The harm to domestic pipe producers has spread throughout their supply chains to other US steel producers and the many related industries that depend on US steel and pipe manufacturing,” the letter stated, adding that “although many pipeline and construction projects are privately funded, there are various options for maximising the use of domestic pipe, such as through US government permitting and approval processes for pipelines.”

The ALPPA claimed in the letter that US pipe producers are continuing to lose huge and important projects to unfairly traded imports of steel pipe despite Section 232 relief and current anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations.

The letter ended by showing its appreciation of Secretary Ross and President Trump’s work so far on protecting the US steel industry and concluded: “We urge Commerce and the President to do all that is possible to promote the use of domestically produced line pipe and structural pipe, which will bring economic growth and new jobs to America’s manufacturing sector”.