US proposes 'Green Steel Club' that would impose tariffs on outsiders

The document, prepared by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, provides the first concrete look at a new type of trade arrangement that the Biden administration sees as a milestone of its approach to trade policy.

The proposed group, known as the Global Regulation of Sustainable Steel and Aluminum, would use the power of the American and European market to support domestic industries in ways that also mitigate climate change. To do this, the member states will jointly impose a series of tariffs against metals produced in environmentally harmful ways.

The taxes will be aimed at China and other countries that do not join the group. Participating countries will have more favorable trade conditions among themselves, in particular, for cleaner produced steel and aluminum.