The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) today released a statement highlighting the harm caused by Mexico’s ongoing, blatant violation of the 2019 joint steel agreement. Earlier this month, Liberty Steel announced its decision to idle its wire plant in Peoria, Illinois after idling the steel mill rod mill operations there in October. Liberty Steel also suspended rod mill operations at its Georgetown, South Carolina facility earlier this year. These closures reflect a broader crisis in the U.S. steel industry driven by unchecked, surging imports from Mexico, Canada, and other countries, including Malaysia, Algeria, Vietnam, and Egypt, and highlight the urgent need for the incoming Trump administration to take decisive action.

Liberty Steel’s operations in Peoria, which include a melt shop, rod mill, wire mills, and agricultural fence product manufacturing, as well as its wire rod mill in Georgetown, have been directly impacted by a flood of cheap steel imports. Wire rod imports surged by over 200,000 tons this year with shipments entering the U.S. market at prices below domestic production costs, even with the existing 25% tariffs.

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