Steel industry leaders praise impact of tariffs against China

The United States steel industry has experienced a renaissance in recent years, and it has turned Mississippi County into reportedly the top steel producing county in the country. A factor in the sector’s recent surge is tariffs enacted against China in 2018, according to several key stakeholders.

The Congressional Steel Caucus, chaired by U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, recently held its “State of the Steel Industry” meeting that included industry leaders including U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt and Nucor Executive Vice President of Business Services Ben Pickett.

Industry leaders universally agreed that when President Donald Trump enacted tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum in 2018 it has been a boon to domestic steel production.

“Prior to 2018, America was giving away its steel making capabilities to foreign nations. … Now, it’s exciting to be in the steel industry,” Crawford said.

Trump was able to place tariffs on Chinese steel through section 232 of the Trade expansion Act of 1962. The section allows for tariffs to be placed on steel and aluminum imports if it’s deemed there is a national security threat.

China is the largest steel producer and exporter in the world. The country produced 960 million tons of steel in 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China. That’s down from the nearly 1 billion tons it typically produces each year and a 4.4% decrease from the previous year. The country exported about 119 million tons last year.

Crawford said the Chinese still try to move steel through other countries to international markets in an effort to avoid paying tariffs. Burritt, whose company was bought by Japan-based Nippon last year, said the solution to dealing with cheaper Chinese steel is simple.

“Tariffs work,” he said.

Big River Steel, based in Osceola, was sold to U.S. Steel several years ago and was part of the acquisition when Nippon bought the company. A second mill had been under construction on that campus and it is now in operation, Burritt said.

In November, the company announced it will build a direct reduced iron plant on the Big River campus. U.S. Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski told Talk Business & Politics that details such as how much the project will cost and how many people it will employ will be released at a later date. Part of Nippon’s agreement to acquire U.S. Steel was to invest $11 billion in operations in the U.S. by 2028, and the newest mill in Osceola is a part of that investment.

Pickett, whose company is the largest steel producer in North America and employs more than 33,000 workers, said the tariffs have been effective. 

Nucor operates two mills near Blytheville in Mississippi County. He said changes are needed with other trade agreements and tougher enforcement. He told lawmakers there doesn’t need to be as many “carve outs” or special exceptions for countries like Canada and Mexico.

There should be stricter “melt and pour” requirements, he said. Those types of regulation require a stamp to be placed on the steel stating where it was melted or poured. U.S. steel is superior to that produced in other countries and buyers have a right to know what product they are buying.

“The American Steel Industry is the most advanced in the world,” said Pickett.

One thing that could spur the industry is ship building, said Lourenco Goncalves, CEO of Cleveland Cliffs, the largest flat roll steel producer in North America. He told the caucus that Trump’s proposal to rebuild the U.S. Navy would be a boon to his business. Trump said in December he wants to allocate billions of dollars to build 20-25 large battleships that he calls the “Trump Class.”

The U.S. ranked fourth in steel production last year, churning out about 80 million tons. Of that total, the country exports about 20 billion tons annually.

Big River isn’t the only steel company with expansion plans in Mississippi County. Hybar, a steel mill that produces rebar and sits adjacent to the Big River campus, became fully operational in November. Hybar CEO David Stickler said there are plans to build a second mill on the Hybar campus and they might build two more mills in Georgia or South Carolina once the second one is complete.

When the rebar mill is fully operational, it will employ 154 workers and produce about 700,000 tons of rebar each year. The first Hybar plant cost about $1 billion to build. Rebar is used to build many things including bridges, tunnels, high rise buildings, ports, airports, public works projects and others. 

“The demand for rebar is never ending,” Stickler said.

Even before Hybar began operations, Mississippi County was by volume the largest steel-producing county nationwide. In 2024, about 9.5 million tons of steel were produced in the county, or about 13% of the country’s steel output. The steel mills employ about 5,000 people directly and indirectly employ almost 8,000.