The biggest crime is that we ship metallurgical grade coal to China by the freighterload and then buy the steel back from China. Except for regulatory compliance, surely it would be cheaper to use the coal here, and produce the steel hear saving two trans-pacific shipping costs.
But that would dry up the glut of shipping containers.
“...surely it would be cheaper to use the coal here, and produce the steel hear saving two trans-pacific shipping costs....”
Nope...highly unlikely when one considers the cost of meeting all the EPA, OSHA and all the other govt regulations and red tape. FWIW, Odongo closed down our last lead mine before he left office. IF we ever get in a real “shooting war”, we’ll have to buy lead from the Chinese to make more bullets.
It depends on how much it would cost to ship iron ore and scrap steel from China to here vs. shipping coal from here to China then finished steel from China back here.
And don't call me Shirley.