Arabic version: ترامب يعلن خطة لإنشاء مصنع صلب بقيمة 15 مليار دولار في آيوا

According to Cnbc, President Donald Trump announced Mesabi Metallics’ plan to invest about $15 billion in an Iowa steel plant that would be the largest facility of its kind in U.S. history. The planned plant aims to begin production in 2030, a White House official said ahead of an Oval Office event.

The first phase is estimated to produce about 7.5 million tons of steel a year and support up to 6,000 construction jobs, according to the White House. The facility is slated eventually to reach 10 million tons annually and support at least 1,750 permanent jobs. Mesabi Metallics said the project will deliver “100% American steel: mined, melted and poured in Minnesota and Iowa.”

Iron ore for the Iowa plant is planned to come from Mesabi’s mine on Minnesota’s Iron Range. That more than $2.5 billion mine project is just beginning production after roughly two decades of development and faced controversies and setbacks, including Essar Steel Minnesota’s bankruptcy filing in 2016. Mesabi is part of the Indian conglomerate Essar Group.

Trump was scheduled to appear in the Oval Office with Mesabi Metallics Chairman Rewant Ruia and CEO Joe Broking, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Export-Import Bank Chairman John Jovanovic, the official said. The announcement came after Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports near the start of his second term and later doubled them to 50%. Critics say the tariffs have helped lift U.S. steel prices to multi-year highs, while steel trade groups said they have driven $47 billion in announced and underway investment.