The U.S. steel and aluminum industries are vital for national and economic security. Both strategic industrial metals are essential to critical applications in defense, aviation, construction, transportation, and energy infrastructure.
While both industries grapple with Chinese market manipulation, the domestic steel and aluminum industries face different challenges in access to raw material inputs, energy consumption, carbon intensity, and capacity utilization.
The domestic steel industry’s relative self-sufficiency and diversified production base make it well-suited to policies focused on maintaining competitiveness, trade enforcement, and supporting innovation in low-carbon technologies.
In contrast, the aluminum industry’s dependence on energy-intensive primary production and global supply chains necessitates policy that prioritizes securing reliable, low-cost domestic energy for smelting, incentivizing the restart or expansion of primary production, strengthening partnerships with trusted allies, and expanding access to scrap supplies.
Get the facts on the structural differences between the two metals, and the different policy needs of both industry for U.S. competitiveness.
Read SAFE’s fact sheet, Differences Between the Steel and Aluminum Industries.
