Mr. President, Please Reconsider Proposed Tariffs on Aluminum and Steel

The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of the undersigned groups representing millions of taxpayers and consumers across the country, we urge you to reconsider the tariffs on aluminum and steel announced on March 1, 2018. We appreciate your work cutting taxes and promoting America, but tariffs on aluminum and steel will be a tax on the Middle Class with everything from cars to baseball bats to even beer being more expensive.

Free trade is an integral foundation for any economy seeking growth, innovation, and expanded opportunity. Not only is free trade good for the U.S. economy, it is also good for the American taxpayer.

As President, you pledged to put America and American jobs first. But imposing tariffs would be bad for the economy and bad for American workers. U.S. manufacturers that consume steel employ an estimated 40 to 60 times more U.S. workers than do steel producing facilities. This tax hike would put these jobs at risk. In fact, when George W Bush increased tariffs on steel, 200,000 jobs were lost as a direct result.

If the U.S. government develops a fortress mentality in a global marketplace, it will spur trading partners to treat U.S. products in the same manner. If foreign governments imitate the U.S. government’s use of tariffs, U.S. exports of manufactured goods could decline. Nothing is more important to long-term U.S. prosperity than being able to sell America’s exceptional products in markets that 95 percent of the world’s population call home.

In December, you signed into law the most significant tax reform in more than 30 years. These tax cuts will revolutionize the US economy, create new jobs and increase living standards throughout the country. This new tariff proposal puts all of that at risk. A new tax on steel and aluminum will cost jobs, increase costs to consumers, and force businesses to go overseas. We strongly urge you to reconsider this proposal.

Sincerely,

David Williams, President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Phil Kerpen, President
American Commitment

Steve Pociask, President
American Consumer Institute

Lisa B. Nelson, CEO
American Legislative Exchange Council

Ashley N. Varner, Executive Director
ALEC Action

Robert Alt, President & CEO
Buckeye Institute

Norm Singleton, President
Campaign for Liberty

Andrew F. Quinlan, President
Center for Freedom and Prosperity

Jeffrey Mazzella, President
Center for Individual Freedom

Iain Murray, Vice President for Strategy
Competitive Enterprise Institute

Matthew Kandrach, President
Consumer Action for a Strong Economy

Frederik Roeder, Managing Director
Consumer Choice Center

David McIntosh, President
Club for Growth

Robert Roper, President
Ethan Allen Institute

Jason Pye, Vice President of Legislative Affairs
FreedomWorks

George Landrith, President
Frontiers of Freedom

Mario Lopez, President
Hispanic Leadership Fund

John Tillman, CEO
Illinois Policy Institute

Carrie L. Lukas, President
Independent Women’s Forum

Heather R. Higgins, CEO
Independent Women’s Voice

Tom Giovanetti, President
Institute for Policy Innovation

Kory Swanson, President and CEO
John Locke Foundation

Lindsay Boyd Killen, Vice President for Strategic Outreach and Communications
Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Brent Mead, CEO
Montana Policy Institute

Pete Sepp, President
National Taxpayers Union

Paul Gessing, President
Rio Grande Foundation

Richard M. Esenberg, President/General Counsel
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

CC: Mr. Wilbur Ross, Secretary
Department of Commerce

CC: Mr. Gary Cohn, Director
National Economic Council

CC: Peter Navarro, Director
White House National Trade Council