Washington, D.C.—Vice President of SAFE’s Center for Strategic Industrial Materials (C-SIM) Joe Quinn spoke at the National Press Club on the effects of the possible merger between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel today. The conversation timely coincided with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida’s April 10 state visit to the White House.
Quinn’s remarks focused on the national and economic security issues of ensuring a secure supply chain for the United States and its allies, especially in the face of growing domestic demand. “The alliance between the U.S. and Japan is—as the State Department puts it—the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in Asia. SAFE believes that the U.S. should prioritize domestic and allied sourcing for its supply of critical materials, including steel,” Quinn stated.
Moderated by Axios energy reporter Ben Geman, the other panelist included Yong Kwon, Sierra Club; Aaron Brickman, RMI; and Germaine Patterson, Community Health Worker with Women for a Healthy Environment. The panel covered a wide range of topics including supply chain resiliency, environmental impacts of heavy manufacturing, government support for the clean energy transition, and the global competitiveness of clean steel.
Panelists largely agreed that clean steel will be key to giving the U.S. a competitive edge in the global market, and that specific policies delineated within the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) give the domestic steel industry an unprecedented opportunity to “build up and build out” American capabilities.
This is important considering the exponential projected domestic demand growth for steel following the signing of IRA. Both Quinn and Brickman cited an RMI report that estimated 40 million metric tons of steel demand growth by 2030, largely due to steel’s role in the defense, automotive, aerospace, and clean energy industries.
Steel is critical to economic and national security due to its defense, aerospace, electricity, and transportation uses. The demand for steel will continue to accelerate as the U.S. economy transitions to mass adoption of electric vehicles and other clean energy systems that depend on it, furthering the case for secure and sustainable domestic supply.
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About SAFE’s Center for Strategic Industrial Materials (C-SIM)
C-SIM is dedicated to advancing resilient and secure supply chains for the industrial materials critical to America’s national and economic security. The Center collaborates with producers, buyers, government, and NGOs to achieve tangible policy outcomes that enhance domestic industry supply chain reliability in a global market.
About SAFE
SAFE is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization committed to transportation and energy policy solutions that advance the economic and national security of the United States, its partners, and allies. SAFE has convened business and former military leaders since 2004 to advocate for secure, resilient, and sustainable energy solutions. Visit secureenergy.org to learn more.
