AISI Welcomes Invitation to Mexico to Join Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks

For immediate release
June 18, 2012

Washington, D.C. - AISI President and CEO Thomas J. Gibson issued the following statement regarding the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) announcement to extend an invitation to Mexico to join the TPP negotiations. 

"AISI welcomes the announcement today that Mexico has been invited to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations," AISI President and CEO Thomas J. Gibson said.  "North American steel producers share a number of common external trade interests -- especially our shared concerns about trade-distorting behavior by state-owned enterprises in Asia.  These are critical issues in the TPP negotiations that will affect the competitiveness of our sector for decades to come.  Accordingly, AISI has actively supported the requests from the governments of both Mexico and Canada to join the TPP negotiations.  We are pleased that Mexico has been given the green light and we hope that Canada will also be invited to join the negotiations very soon.  Having both countries' participation in these important trade negotiations will strengthen the already close relationship we have with our neighbors and will enhance the North American steel industry's international competitiveness."

AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice.  AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology.  AISI is comprised of 25 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 124 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.  AISI's member companies represent over three quarters of both U.S. and North American steel capacity.  For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI's Web site at www.steel.org.

Contact Nancy Gravatt
202.452.7115 / ngravatt@steel.org