Plastics Industry Association responds to Trump administration tariffs

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) President and CEO William R. Carteaux made the following statement May 31, 2018, after Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that the U.S. would impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from Canada, the EU and Mexico:

“The Trump administration’s decision today to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from Mexico, Canada and the EU [European Union]—America’s strongest trading partners—will benefit America’s trade rivals and cost American jobs, plain and simple.

“Many plastics companies cannot function without steel and aluminum products; for example, molds made out of steel and aluminum are used by U.S. companies to shape raw plastic materials into consumer products. The steel used by many mold builders comes from the EU, because it cannot be sourced in the U.S. These tariffs could quite simply put these companies at risk of going out of business, all while increasing costs that will be felt throughout the domestic supply chain.

“American manufacturers need stable, consistent trade policies and should not have to suffer constraints due to a trade war. These tariffs will erode the manufacturing sector’s ability to grow, create jobs and—perhaps even worse—they threaten to poison the well for NAFTA negotiations and more positive trade talks in the future.

“We urge President Trump and his administration to reconsider this dangerous, disruptive approach to trade policy and to work collaboratively to deliver real benefits to American manufacturers and the families and communities that depend on them.”

PLASTICS, formerly SPI, says it is the only organization that supports the entire plastics supply chain, representing nearly one million workers in the industry. Since 1937, PLASTICS has been working to advance recycling and sustainability.