Hundreds of American companies, from bike makers to tomato canners, are lodging formal complaints with the US government, demanding new tariffs on foreign goods. They argue that a flood of imports, often linked to China, is creating an “unfair” disadvantage for domestic producers, prompting a request for about 700 new items to be taxed.
The mechanism is the “steel derivatives” list, which targets finished products that contain steel. US firms like Red Gold, a canning company, point out a costly discrepancy. They must pay high tariffs of 25% to 50% on the raw tinplate steel they import for their cans, while foreign businesses can sell finished, canned goods in the US without that equivalent steel tariff.
This argument has proven effective. A previous consultation in August led to 407 products being added to the tariff list, with experts noting a near-100% success rate for the applying US companies. This success has fueled the current, much larger round of requests, which were submitted before an October 21 deadline.
Among the new requests are those from Guardian Bikes, which blames imports for the loss of the US bike industry, and American Pan, which complains of low-cost Chinese cookware “flooding the market.” These companies are asking the Commerce Department to level the playing field.
While the complaints often focus on China, the tariffs would be applied globally, hitting European allies. Exporters in the UK and EU are fearful that these new levies will be stacked on top of their existing trade deal rates, creating a significant new trade barrier. A decision is expected by January.