At U.S. Steel, Trump promises higher tariffs on imported steel, praises deal

He also told steelworkers at Friday’s rally that they’ll all be receiving $5,000 bonuses.

By JACK TROY and MEGAN SWIFT TribLive

President Donald Trump’s rally Friday inside the U.S. Steel Irvin Works facility marked a victory lap for supporters of the company’s $14 billion partnership with Nippon Steel, and the president himself, who told hundreds of steel workers, “I was watching over you.”

The president announced an agreement between U.S. Steel and Nippon last week but offered few details on whether the figure referred to the proposed $14.9 billion Nippon takeover of U.S. Steel, the Japanese steel maker’s additional $14 billion investment pledge or something else entirely.

And while Trump didn’t fully address the confusion during his hour onstage, which started about 5:40 p.m., he did unveil several pieces of the arrangement. Among the details: $2.2 billion to “increase steel production in the Mon Valley,” $200 million for a research and development center in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University and $7 billion for facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Minnesota and Indiana.

“We are once again going to put Pennsylvania steel into the backbone of America,” he said.

He also noted steelworkers can expect to keep their jobs — and get $5,000 bonuses. This line drew some of the loudest applause of the evening.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Arthur Darabant, an Irvin Works employee of almost 20 years. “I’m sure it will happen.”

Darabant, 60, of Mt. Lebanon, said he and his immediate colleagues are “very much in support” of the Nippon partnership and believe it will inspire employees to work together.

“I’m not really a Trump fan, but what they’re doing is good for the communities and good for the mill,” he said. “I feel without it this place would not exist anymore.”

Trump’s remarks helped fill in a slowly emerging picture of the partnership. U.S. Sen. Dave Mc-Cormick, R-Pittsburgh, said earlier this week the arrangement will allow Nippon to invest in U.S. Steel while guaranteeing that U.S. Steel will have an American CEO and a majority-American board. The U.S. government will also have veto power on certain actions, he added.

Early in his remarks, Trump said the “blockbuster agreement … will ensure this storied American company will stay an American company,” and it will keep U.S. Steel’s headquarters “in the great city of Pittsburgh where it belongs.”

The rally partly fulfilled the hopes of workers, analysts and anyone with a stake in the future of U.S. Steel that Trump would reveal or confirm more details of the partnership.

At least some of these ideas were previously floated by Nippon.

And fittingly, given the location, Trump announced a doubling of steel tariffs.

Import taxes imposed in March will go from 25% to 50%, he said to the enthusiastic crowd of steel workers and political supporters — groups that overlap now perhaps more than ever.

“I believe this group of people that just made these investments right now are very happy, because that means nobody is going to be able to steal your investment,” Trump said. “At 25%, they can sort of get over that fence. At 50, they can no longer get over that fence.”

Takahiro Mori, vice chairman of Nippon Steel, told the crowd around 3:30 p.m. that his company has “deep respect for U.S. Steel and the role it played in building America.” He also thanked Trump for his blessing.

“We know it has the best steel workers in the industry,” he continued.

U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt also spoke, praising the president for protecting “American jobs, American steel and American strength.”

Though technically an official White House event, the feel of Friday’s rally was indistinguishable from one of his campaign stops. Attendees cheered raucously, laughed along with the president and danced to “YMCA” by the Village People right before and after.

Chon Hernandez, one of many workers in an orange jacket and hard hat, said a majority of his colleagues at the Clairton Coke Works are in favor of Nippon’s involvement — and Trump. He was excited to learn last week that Trump blessed the partnership, even without much other info.

“Thank Donald Trump for that,” he said of the deal’s positive momentum.

A “steel workers for Trump” group has amassed around 2,500 members, according to its founder, Clairton Coke Works employee Brian Pavlack.

Many steel workers mixed and matched their work wear with “Make America Great Again” gear. And some attendees not affiliated with U.S. Steel were spotted with Steel City iconography.

Current Steelers Mason Rudolph and safety Miles Killebrew even made appearances on stage, as did Steelers legend Rocky Bleier. They dubbed the president an honorary Steeler, gifting him with Steelers jersey with No. 47 on it.

Several members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation also were in the crowd, including U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly, Guy Reschenthaler and Dan Meuser.