GRANITE CITY, Ill. (Reuters) - After Donald Trump was elected president in 2016 on a pledge to “Make America Great Again” and revive the country’s old industrial heartland, Dave Chrusciel hoped someday to return to his previous job at the steel mill here in this southern corner of Illinois.
That day has arrived. Chrusciel, 61, is one of around 500 workers United States Steel Corp (X.N) is re-hiring or recruiting as it readies for production in mid-June at a blast furnace it idled in 2015.
“I’d been waiting for that phone call asking me to come back for more than two years,” he said.
Chrusciel and Granite City are among the winners as the Trump administration fights a multi-front war to reshape U.S. trade policy. City officials say the well-paid jobs at the Granite City Works, which traces its roots to the late 19th century, are the heart of this town of 29,000 people.
“These are jobs you can raise a family on,” said Granite City Mayor Ed Hagnauer. “Those are the jobs we’ve seen disappear.”
Trump imposed the tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum in March. They are popular in Granite City, but problematic in other communities.
Major U.S. manufacturers as diverse as Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N), Ford Motor Co (F.N), Whirlpool Corp (WHR.N), Campbell Soup Co (CPB.N) and Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) have said rising steel and aluminum prices will have to be passed on to consumers, offset with cost-cutting measures, or hurt profits.
