API: Department of Commerce’s Steel Tariffs Exclusion Process Must Demonstrate Clarity and Flexibility

API: Department of Commerce’s Steel Tariffs Exclusion Process Must Demonstrate Clarity and Flexibility

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2018 – API President and CEO Jack Gerard highlighted the importance of having clarity and flexibility with the Commerce Department’s newly announced exclusion process for the steel and aluminum import tariffs for U.S. companies.

“We support an exclusion process from the Department of Commerce that is both transparent and flexible.  That will allow the U.S. oil and natural gas industry to continue our significant investments in producing, transporting and refining U.S. energy resources, building world-class infrastructure and creating high-paying American jobs, ” said Gerard.

“We expect the Department will acknowledge various market realities and take into consideration the complex supply chains of the U.S. oil and natural gas industry and the need for specialty steel not available domestically for many of its projects.”

The U.S. oil and natural gas industry relies on global steel imports for its operations, including steel for drilling, production facilities onshore and offshore, pipelines, LNG terminals, refineries and petrochemical plants.

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 10.3 million U.S. jobs and nearly 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 40 million Americans.