Tariffs on steel and aluminum have created many uncertainties within the glass and glazing industry and the general U.S. market. However, a new report claims the tariffs have been effective at increasing jobs and aluminum production in the U.S. The National Press Club recently held an event called, “The Real Economic Effects of President’s Trump’s 232 Aluminum and Steel Tariff,” aimed at answering questions about the tariffs’ impact on the U.S. economy throughout the past nine months. Robert E. Scott, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, released a report that says the “aluminum tariffs have led to a strong recovery in employment, production and investment in primary aluminum and downstream industries.” The report set the tone for much of the panel discussion. Scott was joined on the panel by former U.S. Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN); Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing; Jesse Gary, executive vice president and general counsel at Century Aluminum; and Jeff Ferry, research director at the Coalition for a Prosperous America. (whole story about event)
USGlass News Network
December 17, 2018
The Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank that made that submission, said data from 2017 shows contracting firms and temporary help agencies employed 2.3 million workers who would be harmed by the current proposal.
Bloomberg BNA
December 17, 2018
- Industry consolidation is putting a squeeze on suppliers competing for contracts with large companies, which in turn has negative effects on the suppliers’ employees, panelists said at an event hosted by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and Open Markets Institute in Washington, D.C., Wednesday.
- An EPI report presented at the event described an erosion of worker power, caused by policy changes such as deregulation and growth of an independent contractor model.
Panelists called for a reinstatement of worker collaboration, including unionization and bargaining rights, to restore the balance of power between employers and employees. (whole story)
Supply Chain Drive
December 17, 2018
ALUMINUM REPORT GIVES BOOST TO TARIFFS: Supporters of Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum are now armed with a report saying the trade barriers haven’t led to the economic woes that critics warned of. The American Primary Aluminum Association and Economic Policy Institute unveiled a report on Tuesday authored by EPI’s Robert Scott that argues that the tariffs on aluminum have had minimal effect on downstream industries and have been a boon to the primary aluminum industry. That includes a projected 67 percent increase in primary production between 2017 and the end of 2018 and 22 expansion projects in downstream companies that produce extruded and rolled aluminum products. The report takes aim at a study from the Trade Partnership that projected the loss of over 400,000 jobs. “There is absolutely no evidence there have been broad or negative effects on employment either in using industries like autos and parts or in manufacturing as a whole or in the overall economy,” Scott said at an event Tuesday.
Politico Pro
December 17, 2018
* ALUMINIUM OUTPUT: “U.S. production is expected to climb 67 percent this year, as new aluminium expansion projects come online … adding to a globally oversupplied market,” said SP Angel in a note, quoting the Economic Policy Institute think tank.
Reuters
December 17, 2018
A new report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows that the 10 percent levy on aluminum imports imposed in March is bringing back thousands of American jobs, sparking reinvestment in aluminum manufacturing, and contributing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. “One and a half years ago, the U.S. primary aluminum industry was hanging on by a thread,” Robert Scott, EPI’s director of trade and manufacturing policy research wrote in the report. “The threat was, and continues to be, principally driven by the growth of excess capacity and overproduction in China and elsewhere.” (whole story)
The Epoch Times
December 17, 2018
However, there have been some accidental side benefits. The tax cuts provided a bit of badly needed fiscal stimulus that jolted the economy half-awake (despite being otherwise monstrous policy). And, as an Economic Policy Institute report details, his tariffs on aluminum have restored some employment and production in that sector. Whereas nearly the entire American aluminum industry had vanished between 2010 and 2017, after tariffs went up in March of this year, production is up 67 percent, three smelters have been reopened, and one has been expanded, resulting in 1,000 new jobs and $100 million in new investment.
The Week
December 17, 2018
A new report on the effect of Section 232 tariffs on the aluminum industry shows a 67 percent increase in production and thousands of jobs added in the industry and its downstream users. The report , from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, was unveiled on Tuesday at an event at the National Press Club featuring aluminum and manufacturing representatives. It contradicts the dire negative effects predicted by critics, according to the study’s author, EPI Senior Economist Robert Scott, who cited…
Inside Trade
December 17, 2018
I am, then, joined by Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute, to talk about the organization’s roadmap forrogressive economic agenda.
The Working Life Podcast
December 17, 2018
Daily Kos
December 17, 2018