AHRI condemns US steel tariffs
2nd March 2018
USA: The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has expressed its disappointment at President Trump’s decision to impose import tariffs on steel and aluminium.
While the decision has been condemned globally, with Canada and the EU already set to impose countermeasures, it has been widely criticised by US industries.
AHRI president and CEO Stephen Yurek has said his organisation could not support additional tariffs, describing them as “injurious” to manufacturers.
The AHRI says it made clear in letters to the president, and to commerce secretary Wilbur Ross and US trade representative Robert Lighthizer, that it did not support additional tariffs on steel and aluminium due to their impact on manufacturers and consumers.
In a statement, Yurek said: “As major users of steel and aluminium, we have been proactive in explaining to the administration that the HVACR and water heating industry would be negatively impacted by an increase in tariffs, as would the consumers that rely on the products we manufacture.
“While we have been pleased with the Trump Administration’s enthusiastic support for manufacturing, we believe this step to be injurious, rather than helpful, to our efforts to increase American manufacturing and create jobs,” he added.
