US President Joe Biden is putting pressure on China's metal industry. He says he wants to increase the average tariff on certain Chinese steel and aluminum imports from 7.5 percent to more than 20 percent.
Biden made the announcement on Wednesday while addressing members of the United Steelworkers Union in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- a place known as "Steel City."
Biden said, "Instead of importing foreign products and exporting American jobs, we're exporting American products and creating American jobs."
Officials in Washington say China accounts for about half of the world's steel output. They say its export prices are 40 percent lower than those of the US.
Biden says the Chinese government subsidizes steel companies "heavily" and that it is not "competing" but "cheating."
He also spoke about the pending acquisition of US Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel. He said the former is an "iconic" company and should remain "totally American."
Former President Donald Trump has called the deal "horrible." He has said that if he wins the presidential election in November, he will block the transaction "instantaneously."
Pennsylvania is considered a swing state in presidential elections, and Biden wants to make sure he has the support of voters there. He told the steelworkers that he is proud to be the "most pro-union president" that the US has ever had.