Tariff Talk Creates Havoc on Steel and Aluminum
When President Donald Trump  first imposed  the 25% tariff on foreign steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum, some construction companies reported that the price of steel, vital to many commercial construction projects, had  increased by 10% . However, there was not a sense of panic as Canada, the biggest exporter of steel to the U.S., received an exemption from the duty, as did other American allies. Even so, some small manufacturers that rely on steel from abroad said they had lost business to competitors in other countries where there was no such tariff.

Last week, however, the administration turned the U.S. steel import and export market on its head when President Trump  revoked exemptions  for Canada, Mexico and the European Union. Canada responded immediately and said it would institute a dollar-for-dollar steel tariff as a retaliatory measure and would place additional fees on other American goods. Mexico and the EU followed suit with similar statements.

Since the president's May 31 announcement, there have been efforts on the part of some lawmakers to limit  the president's ability  to impose tariffs by giving Congress oversight. A bill introduced by Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn) would require Congressional approval of any tariffs imposed for purposes of national security, which is the reason Trump has given for implementing steel and aluminum duties.
2019 MBI Awards: Start Planning Now!
Master Builders of Iowa has a host of high profile recognition programs where members and their employees have the opportunity to be recognized for outstanding achievements in the areas of project construction, workforce development, and safety. While these awards will not be presented until the Annual Winter Conference in February 2019, now is a great time to start looking at the awards to determine what employees, projects, and / or activities you want to submit.
 
2019 Recognition & Awards Programs
 
Eligibility: All nominees, nominators, and endorsers must be current MBI members.
Eligibility Period: January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018
Call for Submissions: Entries are accepted at any time during the calendar year, but must be received before the listed submission deadlines for each award below.

2019 Submission Deadline – November 9, 2018
 
2019 Submission Deadline – November 9, 2018
 
2019 Submission Deadline – December 14, 2018
 
2019 Submission Deadline – December 14, 2018
                                  
2019 Submission Deadline – December 14, 2018
                                
2019 Submission Deadline – December 14, 2018

2019 Submission Deadline – December 14, 2018


For additional information about these awards, please visit the MBI website at https://www.mbionline.com/recognition or contact Tom Fulcher at tfulcher@mbionline.com or (515) 657-4395.
Tariff Talk Creates Havoc on Steel and Aluminum
MBI Construction Golf Classic & Smoker—See you at the 19 th !
Sponsorship availability is running low! Check out what is still available here .

For eighteen years, MBI has brought together construction colleagues from throughout the state to participate in the MBI-PAC’s top fundraising event. The “Smoker” is a great way to share good times with industry partners and play golf at Iowa’s premier golf venue, all while supporting your industry’s important and influential political action committee. Highlights and a quick video from last year’s event can be seen here . 

Event Details:  
August 13, 2018
Wakonda Club
3915 Fleur Drive
Des Moines, IA
$425/person
$1,700/team

**Registration now open, but spots for teams are filling up fast. In order to sign up, you can find the registration form here . Mail your personal check and send your registration form back to Ben Hammes at bhammes@mbionline.com.
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