Letters to the editor: Forgers urge Biden administration to retain tariffs on China
Containers at the Yangshan Deepwater Port in Shanghai, China, on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg More than two dozen U.S. manufacturers of forging filed formal comments with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) calling on the Biden administration to retain and increase the current tariff rate of 25% on imported Chinese forgings. USTR accepted comments from the public through Jan. 17 on the tariffs as it undergoes a statutory requirement to review the Section 301 tariff action after four years. “The message to USTR is that the tariffs are helping America’s forging industry and 71% of respondents to our survey told us they added business directly due to the tariffs on Chinese forgings,” said Forging Industry Association (FIA) president and CEO James Warren. “The White House and Department of Defense identify U.S. forgings as a critical part of the supply chain, this is why FIA and its member companies filed comments with USTR, to send a message to President Biden to keep the tariffs in place.” FIA members also provided invaluable input to USTR with their own filings, reinforcing the role the industry plays in economic and national security. U.S. forging businesses have the capacity and ability to meet current and future demands, as highlighted in comments filed by individual companies. “The level of competition we face from State-Owned Enterprises (in China) remains one of the largest threats, not just to our company and industry, but to all of American manufacturing,” said Chelsea Lantto, president of Trenton Forging Co. in Trenton, Michigan, and 2023 chair of FIA, in her company’s filing. “Since the tariffs have been imposed, we have seen a huge increase in the number of companies interested in reshoring their supply chain to America. If USTR lifts the tariffs, that interest will die, and our customers will return to mainly buying from China,” Lantto continued. “The Section 301 actions are absolutely necessary and should remain in place at current or even higher levels because the actions are the best leverage the U.S. has to counteract the unfair trade practices, and intellectual property theft China has been conducting against the U.S. businesses for more than 20 years,” said Willard “Will” Walker, president and CEO of Walker Forge in Clintonville, Wisconsin, and past FIA chair, stated in his filing with USTR. FIA will continue to work with the Biden administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to educate them on the benefit of the Section 301 tariffs on the U.S. forging industry. James Warren President and CEO Forging Industry Association Independence Crain’s Book of Lists is one of the few reputable places where our region’s leaders are recognized. However, as I read through this year’s issue, I became puzzled and concerned. Where are the energy companies on the list, and where are the chief sustainability officers who stand out as leaders in their industry across the region? The role of the chief sustainability officer nationally is one of the positions that has grown in importance and influence across the C-suite. Bloomberg took note of the growing value placed by companies on this role in an April 8 article by Jeff Green, “Chief Sustainability Officers Earn Up to $1.5M in Hot Market”. They are conspicuously absent from Crain’s Cleveland Book of Lists. Part of the growing value placed on this role is the importance of energy, energy technology, and sustainability as the nation and companies move to decarbonize their operations. Nationally, energy companies, from traditional utilities to energy tech startups, are attracting a lot of investment and attention as part of an economy-wide transition. Missing from the Crain’s List are both our utilities and their leaders, as well as those leading the energy transition for our region. While one might fear that our region is missing the boat on an important development, I think we should dig a bit deeper to uncover the best examples of the great work that is going on in Northeast Ohio. With the Sustainability Summit hosted by the Greater Cleveland Partnership on Jan. 24 to discuss business sustainability strategies and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), the Metro Cleveland community could see plainly that we do have some dynamic and exciting leaders in this space. Hopefully they’ll take their rightful place in next year’s Book of Lists. Grant Goodrich Cleveland
