The US will take steps to support the domestic production and procurement of steel and aluminum made with lower-carbon methods as part of a slate of new initiatives that are aimed at boosting American leadership in “clean” manufacturing, the White House said Feb. 15.
“The Biden-Harris administration is announcing new actions across agencies to support American leadership on clean manufacturing, including low-carbon production of the steel and aluminum we need for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels,” the White House said in a statement.
The US will use trade policy as a method of achieving lower carbon emissions in the steel and aluminum industries, according to the statement, an approach that was first presented in 2021 as part of a metal trade deal with the EU.
“Together, the US and EU are working to restrict access to their markets for dirty steel and limit access to countries that dump steel in both markets, contributing to worldwide over-supply,” the White House said. “The arrangement will be open to any interested country that wishes to join and meets criteria for restoring market orientation and reducing trade in high-emissions steel and aluminum products.”
The US and EU introduced the joint initiative for tackling emissions in the metal sectors when the US agreed to replace its steel and aluminum tariffs on imports from the EU with a quota scheme. The governments vowed to collaboratively build a framework by 2024 to promote cleaner steel and aluminum production and address global overcapacity in both sectors.
“It will thus drive investment in green steel and aluminum production in the US, Europe and around the world, ensuring a competitive US steel and aluminum industry for decades to come,” the White House said.
The initiatives mainly seek to tackle excess carbon-intensive capacity in China.