Did you know that there's just one U.S. steel manufacturer left that can make high-end, grain-oriented electrical steel that’s essential for transmission and distribution transformers for all types of energy?

Because of imports from countries like China and Russia, many steel makers have closed plants, laid off workers or gone out of business entirely, forcing our country to become more and more dependent on foreign materials to build our military equipment, including aircraft carriers and tanks, as well as our critical infrastructure like our water systems, bridges and energy grids.

For decades, the USW and domestic producers have repeatedly filed trade enforcement cases in response to these unfair and sometimes-illegal trade practices, but that enforcement system is flawed because we must show injury and job loss to make our case. Even if we win, it’s often too late, those jobs never come back.

In April, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the Department of Commerce to investigate the importance of steel to our national security. We said then and believe now that it’s about time we have actions such as this from the White House.

This study, once completed, will give the President the justification to act to protect our national security, and to stop imports from flooding our shores and decimating our productive capacity.

We urge President Trump and his administration to enforce a strong and comprehensive solution to this investigation and keep his promise to America’s working people to protect and create family-sustaining manufacturing jobs.