March 6, 2018

The Honorable Donald J. Trump 
President of the United States 
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW 
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of the undersigned groups representing millions of taxpayers and consumers across the country, we urge you to reconsider the tariffs on aluminum and steel announced on March 1, 2018. We appreciate your work cutting taxes and promoting America, but tariffs on aluminum and steel will be a tax on the Middle Class with everything from cars to baseball bats to even beer being more expensive.

Free trade is an integral foundation for any economy seeking growth, innovation, and expanded opportunity. Not only is free trade good for the U.S. economy, it is also good for the American taxpayer.

As President, you pledged to put America and American jobs first. But imposing tariffs would be bad for the economy and bad for American workers. U.S. manufacturers that consume steel employ an estimated 40 to 60 times more U.S. workers than do steel producing facilities. This tax hike would put these jobs at risk. In fact, when George W Bush increased tariffs on steel, 200,000 jobs were lost as a direct result.

If the U.S. government develops a fortress mentality in a global marketplace, it will spur trading partners to treat U.S. products in the same manner. If foreign governments imitate the U.S. use of tariffs, U.S. exports of manufactured goods could decline. Nothing is more important to long term U.S. prosperity than being able to sell exceptional products in markets that 95 percent of the population call home.

In December, you signed into law the most significant tax reform in more than 30 years. These tax cuts will revolutionize the US economy, create new jobs and increase living standards throughout the country. This new tariff proposal puts all of that at risk. A new tax on steel and aluminum will cost jobs, increase costs to consumers, and force businesses to go overseas. We strongly urge you to reconsider this proposal.

Sincerely,

David Williams
President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Phil Kerpen
President
American Commitment

Steve Pociask
President
American Consumer Institute

Lisa B. Nelson
CEO
American Legislative Exchange Council

Ashley N. Varner
Executive Director 
ALEC Action

Robert Alt 
President & CEO 
Buckeye Institute

Norm Singleton 
President
Campaign for Liberty

Andrew F. Quinlan
President
Center for Freedom and Prosperity

Jeffrey Mazzella
President
Center for Individual Freedom

Iain Murray
Vice President for Strategy 
Competitive Enterprise Institute

Matthew Kandrach
President
Consumer Action for a Strong Economy

Frederik Roeder 
Managing Director 
Consumer Choice Center

David McIntosh President
Club for Growth

Robert Roper 
President
Ethan Allen Institute

Alex Ayers
Executive Director 
Family Business For Affordable Energy

Jason Pye
Vice President of Legislative Affairs 
FreedomWorks

George Landrith 
President
Frontiers of Freedom

Mario Lopez
President
Hispanic Leadership Fund

John Tillman
CEO
Illinois Policy Institute

Carrie L. Lukas
President
Independent Women’s Forum

Heather R. Higgins
CEO
Independent Women’s Voice

Tom Giovanetti
President
Institute for Policy Innovation

Kory Swanson 
President and CEO 
John Locke Foundation

Lindsay Boyd Killen
Vice President for Strategic Outreach and Communications 
Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Brent Mead
CEO
Montana Policy Institute

Pete Sepp
President
National Taxpayers Union

Paul Gessing
President
Rio Grande Foundation

Richard M. Esenberg
President/General Counsel
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

CC: Mr. Wilbur Ross 
      Secretary
      Department of Commerce

CC: Mr. Gary Cohn 
      Director
      National Economic Council

CC: Peter Navarro 
      Director
      White House National Trade Council