Tim Brightbill Discusses Commerce’s Request for Pipeline Construction Information, Plan for Increased Use of U.S. Steel

March 20, 2017

Timothy C. Brightbill, a partner in Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice, was quoted in a March 17 Steel Business Briefing article discussing the U.S. Department of Commerce’s request for information on the construction and maintenance of American pipelines in response to President Donald Trump’s memorandum signed earlier this year requiring all new domestic pipeline projects use U.S steel.

The Commerce Department is conducting industry outreach to better understand the current pipeline construction technology requirements, as well as the issues surrounding the domestic and foreign supply of materials in the industry. The agency is accepting comments from industry participants through April 7, 2017, and is required to provide President Trump with a plan by July 23, 2017.

“We are very pleased that the Commerce Department and the Trump administration are moving forward with this program and information request,” said Mr. Brightbill, who represents the American Line Pipe Producers Association (ALPPA). “We think that once all of the responses are in, the data will show that there is substantial available capacity among US manufacturers to immediately produce much greater quantities of US line pipe using American-made steel.”

ALPPA, an industry group that formed earlier this year, is comprised of major domestic steel producing companies that collectively represents a significant portion of U.S. line pipe capacity.