Rising backlash as US firms seek Trump’s steel tariff waiver

WASHINGTON – U.S. companies seeking to be exempted from President Donald Trump’s tariff on imported steel are accusing American steel manufacturers of spreading inaccurate and misleading information, and they fear it may torpedo their requests.

The resentment illustrates a backlash over how the Commerce Department is evaluating requests to escape the tariff. Companies fear the agency will be swayed by opposition from Nucor, U.S. Steel and other domestic suppliers that say they’ve been unfairly hurt by a glut of imports and are backing the tariff.

NLMK USA imports steel from Russia, and its president calls objections by U.S. Steel and Nucor to his waiver request “literal untruths.”

Nucor didn’t respond to requests for comment. U.S. Steel says its objections are based on detailed information about the dimensions and chemistry of the steel.