“Unfair” Advantage: US Canners and Bakers Demand Levies on Foreign Goods

American companies in the food production and kitchenware sectors are demanding new tariffs, claiming foreign competitors have an “unfair” advantage. Red Gold, a major tomato canner, and American Pan, a maker of commercial baking trays, have petitioned the US Commerce Department to add their sectors to the “steel derivatives” list.
Red Gold’s 12-page letter explained that it pays high tariffs (25-50%) on the raw tinplate steel it imports for cans. Meanwhile, foreign firms can import finished cans with “no comparable tariff.” American Pan and Chicago Metallic echoed this, complaining of low-cost Chinese cookware “flooding the market.”
These firms are part of a larger group that has requested about 700 new items be added to the tariff list. The requests, which were due October 21, also include bicycles, mattress springs, and industrial machines.
This domestic push is causing global friction. European exporters, who are already subject to baseline tariffs under their trade deals, now face an additional levy on the steel content of their products. This, they argue, subverts the very deals they signed.
Given the near-100% success rate of a previous list in August, it is widely expected these new tariffs will be approved in December or January. This reflects an “expansionist” US policy that is creating uncertainty for its allies.