Trump announces $15bn steel mill project in Iowa before US midterms

Amid tight Iowa midterm races, President Trump emphasises steel industry revival with project announcement.Just weeks before the midterm elections, United States President Donald Trump has announced that a Minnesota-based steel manufacturer intends to build a $15bn steel mill project in Iowa, as the White House tries to highlight its focus on domestic manufacturing.On Monday, joined by executives from Mesabi Metallics, which recently opened Minnesota’s first new iron ore mine in 50 years, Trump announced the project. It is expected to begin production in 2030 and could bring more than 1,700 jobs to the region, with an initial production capacity of 7.5 million tonnes per year.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4How Canadians are bracing for the impact of Trump’s trade warlist 2 of 4US Fed raises interest rates for first time in three yearslist 3 of 4As Xi meets Trump, who’s winning their trade war?list 4 of 4Why is Canada’s PM Carney not ruling out a possible war with the USend of listThe first phase of construction for the project will generate 5,000–6,000 construction jobs, a White House official told Al Jazeera.The plant in Iowa will use iron ore from the Mesabi Iron Range in nearby Minnesota. Mesabi, which is owned by Indian conglomerate Essar Group, invested more than $2.5bn to build the mine in Minnesota.“President Trump is delivering on his promise to rebuild American industry, re-shore manufacturing, and create new jobs. Today’s announcement underscores the president’s historic efforts to revitalize the US steel industry—supporting local communities, strengthening supply chains, and protecting our national security,” White House Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Al Jazeera.The steel industry has loomed over the first half of Trump’s second term in office. The president imposed 50 percent tariffs on steel and aluminium imports last year in an effort to boost domestic production, but also threatened to increase prices of products that use those materials, from soda cans to washing machines to cars.