WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today applauded the news that ArcelorMittal will restart its steelmaking operations on the West Side of Cleveland, which were idled in October 2008.  ArcelorMittal announced today that the restarting of operations has the potential to add 480,000 tons of annual steel supply to the company’s production capability, dependent on market conditions, and the company expects to hire approximately 150 hourly and salaried employees.

“ArcelorMittal is one of the many companies with a proud history of steelmaking here in Ohio. Thanks to an increased demand for autos, and strong trade enforcement measures, we’re adding good-paying, middle-class jobs in Cleveland,” Brown said. “I’m thrilled that ArcelorMittal has chosen to restart their West Side plant, and I am confident that their expansion will help contribute to the ongoing revitalization of Cleveland.”

Last April, Sen. Brown brought the President’s top trade advisor, United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk, to ArcelorMittal to discuss how job creation can be promoted through strong trade law enforcement that ensures a level playing field for American businesses. Brown and Kirk discussed how trade law enforcement defends Ohio manufacturers from unfair foreign competition and helps create and preserve jobs in Ohio and across the country.

Described as “Congress' leading proponent of American manufacturing,” Brown has been a strong advocate for enforcing international trade law. He has testified multiple times before the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) on behalf of steel, aluminum, rubber tire, and paper producers in Ohio during cases that considered whether underpriced imports from countries like China were negatively impacting domestic manufacturers. Positive rulings from the ITC have helped support manufacturing jobs in Ohio, playing an important role in the construction of a new $650 million seamless pipe mill in Youngstown that brought hundreds of jobs to the Mahoning Valley as well as the preservation of tire manufacturing jobs in Findlay and Leavittsburg.

Last month, Brown, along with Sens. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), announced new legislation to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to buy American-made goods. The Invest in American Jobs Act would give preference to American-made steel, iron, and manufactured goods used to construct projects financed by taxpayers.

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