On July 16, Jarrett Martin, President of MAR-MAC Industries and Chair of AWPA’s Government Relations Advisory Committee, represented AWPA at a Congressional Steel Caucus staff briefing on the U.S. steel supply chain, focused on downstream steel manufacturers.

Martin’s message: “wire is everywhere”-used in nails, fencing, mesh, prestressed concrete strand, elevator and crane rope, mattress springs, and other industrial applications. He stressed that balanced domestic wire rod production and sound trade policy are essential to a resilient wire industry that supports U.S. economic and national security needs.

As an example, Martin cited the 2007 I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. AWPA member Sumiden Wire and domestic wire rod producers supplied more than 1,650 tons of prestressed concrete strand in under 90 days, helping the replacement bridge open three and a half months early.

Martin emphasized three of AWPA’s trade policy priorities:

• Derivative tariff coverage. AWPA continues to push for extending Section 232 tariffs to downstream wire products, closing gaps that let foreign producers increase exports of previously uncovered goods.
• Stronger trade enforcement. Citing AWPA member M&B Metals’ experience with customs fraud and transshipment, Martin backed stronger enforcement tools, including the following bipartisan bills, all endorsed by AWPA: the Fighting Trade Cheats Act, Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act, PAIL Act, and STEEL Act.
• Expansion of SIMA. AWPA supports expanding Commerce’s Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis system to cover downstream products newly subject to Section 232, giving manufacturers faster access to data on shifting trade patterns and potential duty evasion.

Martin closed by thanking the Caucus for its support and reaffirming AWPA’s commitment to strengthening the U.S. steel supply chain.

The briefing was convened by the offices of Steel Caucus Co-Chairs Crawford (R-AR) and Mrvan (D-IN) and was attended by dozens of Congressional staffers and other industry stakeholders. Other participating organizations included the Alliance for American Manufacturing, the American Institute of Steel Construction, the Cold Finished Steel Bar Institute, and the Specialty Steel Industry of North America.