Steel

In the final hours before new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports were to take effect, the White House late Thursday issued a trio of proclamations to fine tune the tariffs, exempting several allied nations with whom negotiations were ongoing.

After garnering feedback from many circles, including the oil and natural gas industry, the Trump administration outlined a procedure for requesting an exemption to its recently announced tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and began accepting such requests on Monday.

The executive board of the American Petroleum Institute (API), along with several Big Oil executives, met with President Trump and Vice President Pence at the White House on Thursday to discuss a range of issues that affect the oil and natural gas industry.

In the wake of President Trump enacting tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, an industry expert said the oil and gas industry should pursue an exemption for specialty steel products, while an energy trade group said the products, which are used in pipeline construction, meet the criteria for the exemption.

As President Trump considers imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, a coalition of trade groups representing the oil and gas industry urged the president to at least consider exemptions for steel products in the energy sector, especially when there isn’t a sufficient domestic supply.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Tuesday said it was “wasteful” for natural gas to be flared from oil wells, but he wants to find a way to incentivize rather than penalize operators.

The U.S. oil and natural gas industry is blasting President Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, claiming the decision would destroy jobs by raising the costs and even scuttling infrastructure projects, but the president appeared unwilling to compromise.

A quintet of trade associations representing the majority of U.S. pipeline operators engaged in transporting natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum products and carbon dioxide, said Friday they support President Trump’s call for the use of American steel pipeline construction, but warn that there are serious hurdles to be overcome.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has released a settlement with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania for public comment that alleges safety violations at two of the company’s work sites in the state.