Global Geopolitical Series: Trump to announce national security decision on steel imports in next 90 days

President Trump will announce his decision on steel imports in the next three months, which could have far-reaching consequences for the global economy especially China. After his inauguration, the U.S. President Donald Trump asked hi Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to take up an investigation to see whether importing steel and related products is harmful to the national security of the United States.

Last week, on Thursday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross submitted his findings to the President, according to Commerce department’s website, which says, “Today Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross formally submitted to President Donald J. Trump the results of the Department’s investigation into the effect of steel mill product imports on U.S. national security. After this submission, by law, the President has 90 days to decide on any potential action based on the findings of the investigation. After the President’s decision is announced, the Department will publish a summary of the report in the Federal Register and make the report available to the public after removing any business confidential or classified material.”

Since the report is not available publicly, it could not be reviewed to analyze the implications or probable decision by President Trump. Any decision that is adverse to the steel imports would have significant knock-on effects on steel exports of countries tries like China. According to World Steel Association’s data, the world produced around 1.630 million tons of crude steel in 2016 and China produced almost half of that (808.4 million tons). The United States produced less than 10 percent of what China produced, though it is ranked 4th in the world, in terms of production.

The United States is the second largest importer of steel and steel products, only after the European Union.