NUCA Statement On Additional Tariffs

The chief executive officer of the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), Doug Carlson, issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s proclamation to impose a general 10% baseline tariff on most imports, beginning on April 5, 2025, and additional tariffs on goods from select nations beginning on April 9, 2025:

“America’s underground utility construction industry is literally building America’s foundations for renewed economic growth and success across every industry. Much of our federally funded work through recent infrastructure laws is already subject to domestic procurement requirements. But the macroeconomic effects of these new tariffs will drive up construction materials prices and make it challenging to meet the increased demand for domestically made components on all public and privately funded projects.

“Our nation’s construction industry relies on an interconnected global supply chain for its essential materials. Many domestically manufactured products rely on some percentage of foreign goods, especially inputs that are not available domestically. Even for those that are available, the supply chain will not reassert itself overnight. 25 percent of steel from non-domestic sources, and the specialized iron and steel products used in underground utility projects, are essential to our industry’s projects and their efficient completion. And roughly half of America’s aluminum comes from foreign sources. It will take significant time for domestic U.S. supply to catch up to demand.

“NUCA urges the Trump Administration to consider exemptions for critical infrastructure materials, at least with regards to those used in domestic infrastructure projects and supply chains. America’s construction industry already supports through practice and “Buy America” regulations the use of American-manufactured products, and we encourage the Administration to examine regulatory roadblocks that drive manufacturing of industry-demanded products overseas.

“These tariffs will only delay critical infrastructure projects and drive up their costs to the taxpayer. Much of America’s underground infrastructure relies upon EPA and other government resource funds to build or repair its water, wastewater, stormwater, and other essential utility projects.

“The Trump Administration should provide automatic relief from these additional duties for those products required for infrastructure construction which are manufactured elsewhere until such a time that our domestic manufacturing base gets the support and regulatory relief they need to meet demand without dramatically increasing costs to the taxpayer.”