Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin
Washington, DC – Today, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) reinforced his support for the domestic steel industry in West Virginia after Cleveland-Cliffs announced the lay-off of 300 employees at their Weirton tin mill operation due to dumped and subsidized imports. This comes a week after the announcement of the planned closure of the Trivium Packaging facility, also in Weirton, resulting in the loss of 70 jobs. Both facilities participate in the production of tin mill steel or finished products using raw tin mill materials.
After Cleveland-Cliffs invested more than $50 million in their Weirton facility in just two years to increase and optimize production capabilities, census data indicates that between 2019 and 2022, the volume of tin mill imports surged by more than 37 percent.
“Make no mistake, the loss of jobs in Weirton is a direct result of the dumping of imported tin mill products in our domestic market,” said Senator Manchin. “I am adamant that we focus on returning these manufacturing jobs to the United States, but we must protect the jobs that remain in places like Weirton, West Virginia. Nearly 400 people are in turmoil today in West Virginia and Eastern Ohio, as they search for opportunities to provide for their families. I will do everything I can to ensure West Virginians and all Americans have assurances that their jobs are safe from unfair practices of other countries in the steel industry.”
Lourenco Goncalves, Cleveland-Cliffs’ Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Once again, unfair trade practices are harming good paying, union jobs. Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steelworkers have partnered to bring a trade case before the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce to address the surge of dumped and subsidized tin mill product imports. We greatly appreciate the vocal support and leadership of Senator Manchin, Senator Capito and other influential elected officials, and we are optimistic that this critically important trade case will succeed.”
“Our local steelworkers truly appreciate Senator Manchin’s continued support in protecting our jobs in Weirton,” said Mark Glyptis, United Steelworkers Local 2911 President. “Hardworking West Virginians are in a fight for American industry. With the help of Senator Manchin, his colleagues in the United States Congress and continued support from our state and local officials, we are confident we will stop these unfair practices, alleviating the pain felt by the 300 families affected by these recent lay-offs in the future.”
“As someone who grew up in Weirton, I know all too well the devastation that the dumping of foreign steel brought to my hometown in the 1980s and ‘90s. It is completely unacceptable to now see that same thing happening in the tin mill industry causing the lives of so many Weirton-area families upended once again,” said State Senator Ryan Weld. “I strongly urge the Department of Commerce to do all it can to stop these unfair trade practices and help get these workers back in the mill and back to work.”
Earlier this year, Senator Manchin led a letter with Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), JD Vance (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Mike Braun (R-IN) and Representatives Bill Johnson (R-OH), Carol Miller (R-WV), Alex Mooney (R-WV) and Frank Mrvan (D-IN) in support of Cleveland-Cliffs Weirton Tin Mill regarding their antidumping petition to the U.S. Department of Commerce.