Washington, D.C. - Anne Forristall Luke, President and CEO of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s recommendations regarding global tariffs and quotas for steel imports:

“The tire industry keeps America’s economy on the move. We are responsible for more than a quarter million U.S. jobs – totaling almost $20 billion in wages. With that in mind, we deeply appreciate this Administration’s strong support for domestic manufacturing and production.

“We support the need to protect American workers and our economy from unfair trade practices that threaten our economic and national security. However, we are concerned that the Department of Commerce’s recommendations may have unintended consequences for domestic tire manufacturers and the workers and industries they support. High-quality steel is critical for tire production. Domestic steel mills use a production process that is unable to produce the steel necessary to make tires.

“USTMA members must retain the capability to import the specialized steel products that are vital to making tires in the United States. A disruption in tire manufacturing in the U.S. would harm our economy and threaten national security, since the U.S. military relies on the tire industry to provide high performing and durable tires to aid in our national defense. We strongly urge the Administration to exempt the tire industry from any such tariffs and quotas, or at the least commit to establishing a process for timely review of exemption applications.

“We stand ready to work with the Administration to protect both domestic steel production and the U.S. tire industry.”

About U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association: The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association is the national trade association for tire manufacturers that produce tires in the U.S. USTMA members operate 56 tire-related manufacturing facilities in 18 states and generate over $27 billion in annual sales. In 2017, USTMA members accounted for 82% of the 316 million passenger, light truck and truck tire shipments in the U.S.