Voters believe steel industry is critical to America’s national security

The Metals Service Center Institute reports in its newsletter “Connecting the Dots” that the Manufacturers for Trade Enforcement (MTE) coalition has released a poll of 1,000 likely voters from across the country to gauge public concern about the steel industry’s plight and to measure recommendations for action.

Key findings of the survey, which was performed by The Tarrance Group of Alexandria, Va. at the end of January, include:

• 82 percent of voters believe the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas and the damage to the American steel industry due to unfair foreign imports are very important issues facing the country;
• 72 percent of voters believe elected officials of both parties have let the United States fall behind other countries that don’t play by trade rules;
• 86 percent of voters very strongly believe that the American steel industry is critical to America’s national security;
• 73 percent of voters are very concerned that the United States is one of few countries that imports more steel than it exports;
• 65 percent of voters agree that foreign countries whose governments own and operate their own steel production companies are devastating the American steel manufacturing industry and its workers, and that unfair trade practices by countries like China are mostly to blame for the decline in American steel manufacturing and the loss of well-paying jobs;
• 71 percent of voters are very concerned about the possibility that America’s national security could be compromised if foreign imports continue to cripple the American steel industry;
• 70 percent of voters feel that China’s attempt to dominate the global economy is a very important concern;
• 77 percent of voters feel that the fact that the United States is falling behind other countries in manufacturing is a very important concern; and
• 57 percent of voters believe it is “very important” that the candidates running for president specifically offer a plan to increase steel production and stop the jobs loss.