Trump’s Tariffs: A Boon for U.S. Steel Mills, Says JSW Steel USA CEO
Following President Donald Trump’s announcement of his "fair and reciprocal" trade plan, JSW Steel USA CEO Robert Simon expressed optimism for the domestic steel industry and the company’s Ohio-based mill.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Simon asserted that the tariffs would significantly benefit JSW Steel USA, a subsidiary of India’s JSW Group, and its employees.
Increased Utilization and Job Creation
"It’s a good piece of the formula that results in our company increasing utilization in the next 12 months, from 68% to probably 84%, and beyond that in years to come," Simon explained. "So it’s a very exciting time for us."
He estimated that the Ohio plant alone would likely see a minimum increase of 100 jobs in the next year under Trump’s tariff plan.
Leveling the Playing Field
Simon argued that U.S. steel manufacturers have long faced unfair competition from foreign rivals who have skirted environmental and safety regulations and paid their employees less.
"We, as steel producers, we paid our employees fair wages, treated them fairly, met some of the most – if not the most strict – environmental requirements in the world, and those practices in our markets, with the simple supply-demand equation establishes market pricing," he said.
"The frustration is, how is it fair that others that don’t treat their employees the same way, don’t follow the same rules, don’t follow environmental practices… they get government subsidies. How is it fair that they can come into our markets and take market share when it’s not an equal playing field?"
The Ohio Factory Revival
JSW Steel USA acquired the Ohio factory in 2018, after it had been dormant for years. Under the company’s leadership, the factory has undergone a resurgence.
"This is a company that had been shut down for over seven years, when we acquired it," Simon said. "We hired a workforce, trained a workforce, all from the local area. What’s really cool to see is we’ve got employees whose grandparents and great-grandparents worked in this same company, which ended up being shut down, and they’re part now of reviving that company and bringing it to an offering of products that’s extremely competitive and extremely impressive in terms of its value added products."
Trump’s "Golden Age" Vision
Simon hailed Trump’s trade policies and his ability to negotiate deals swiftly, which he said has reinvigorated the U.S. steel industry.
"Mr. Trump is not a politician, right, but, more of a business person stepping in and leading our country, from much more of a business perspective than as a career politician," he said. "Like it or not, for those folks that have different opinions, this results in very quick negotiations. I don’t think I’ve ever in my time here seen so much movement, so much decision-making, so many decisions being made in this shorter period of time since he’s been in office. It’s pretty, pretty amazing."
JSW USA’s Ongoing Investment
Trump’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday included discussions on trade and investment, including the ongoing operations of JSW in Texas and Ohio. In a joint statement, the two nations committed to "drive opportunities for U.S. and Indian companies to make greenfield investments in high-value industries in each other’s countries."
"The steel tariffs enacted by President Trump are a necessary step in leveling the playing field for American steelworkers and manufacturers," Simon added. "Foreign competitors fail to protect their workforce at the same safety standards, do not compensate them fairly, and produce steel that contributes to environmental degradation, all the while, seeking to flood the U.S. market, taking advantage of our strong economy, driving a collapse of our markets in the process."
