American manufacturers are waging a determined campaign for protection against what they describe as crippling foreign competition. In formal requests to the US Department of Commerce, hundreds of firms have asked for tariffs to be applied to roughly 700 new product categories that contain steel.
The requests come from a diverse cross-section of American industry. Guardian Bikes, an Indiana-based bicycle company, submitted an 11-page plea stating the US bike industry “was lost” due to 11 million imports in 2024, blaming China for the competition. Similarly, Red Gold, a major tomato-canner, and kitchenware makers like American Pan, complain of being undercut.
The core of their argument is a perceived loophole. Red Gold, for example, pays steep tariffs (25% to 50%) on the tinplate steel it imports to make its own cans. However, foreign businesses can import finished tin-plated cans directly to the US without paying a “comparable tariff,” giving them an unfair price advantage.
This is the second such request in three months, following an August list that added 407 products. The near-perfect success rate of those earlier requests has encouraged more companies to join the call. The Commerce Department’s deadline for submissions was October 21, and a decision is anticipated by early next year.
While the complaints often single out China, the “steel derivative” tariffs are applied globally. This means exporters in the UK and EU, such as high-performance bike makers Pinarello or Brompton, will be caught in the crossfire, facing new levies that compound existing trade deal tariffs.