JD Longo: President Trump’s EU trade deal spells huge wins for Pennsylvanians

President Trump’s groundbreaking trade deal with the European Union is another example of his commitment to championing policies that put Americans first. Although this deal was signed across the pond, it will have a huge impact right here at home. Pennsylvania steel, energy, tech and agricultural industries will soon feel the benefits of trade policies that put us back in the driver’s seat.

To start, the deal imposes a fifteen percent baseline tariff on most imports from the E.U. This not only levels the playing field but sends a clear message to countries across the globe: American industry is back. 

The 50 percent tariffs on imported steel and aluminum are also here to stay: a huge win for our state economy. These tariffs, originally announced by President Trump at U.S. Steel headquarters in late May, will revitalize the steel industry, much of which is headquartered here in Pittsburgh. 

In 2024, the U.S. imported $33 billion worth of iron and steel and only exported $19.6 billion. In 2022, U.S. Steel produced “less steel than it did in its first year of business,” over 100 years ago. As the state that once produced the most steel in the Union, this means we’ve lost jobs. Our local economy has taken a hit — all to benefit foreign interests. If this rate holds steady, it has the potential to create 70,000 new jobs — and has already increased the value of U.S. Steel stocks.

After decades of watching the American steel industry decline, this change is more than an economic win for Pennsylvania: it’s a resurrection. 

This deal is a welcome change to long-standing deals that put American workers last. 

Another huge win in the U.S.-E.U. trade deal is access and opportunity to sell. With the elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers on U.S. exports like farm goods, our family farms will enjoy a boon too. Dairy products are one of our state’s largest exports by value, totaling $364 million in 2023. This deal gives us unprecedented market access to the E.U.’s $20 trillion market for dairy, grains, and livestock — and increases opportunity for overseas market penetration. 

The many family farms in our great state and others celebrate this trade deal and other tariffs. They anticipate more sales, potentially adding tens of thousands of dollars in yearly earnings to fund expansion, and to preserve their multi-generational farming tradition. 

Pennsylvania’s energy sector will also receive a jolt. Research from the American Petroleum Institute in Pennsylvania indicates that “every direct job in the natural gas and oil industry generates 3.6 additional jobs,” in Pennsylvania. The E.U. has committed to purchasing $750 billion worth of U.S. energy over the next four years. This means natural gas producers like Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale will be energized, creating high-paying jobs in Washington and Greene Counties. Firms like Pittsburgh’s CNX Resources and EQT Corporation could see exports rise exponentially while adding hundreds of jobs. 

The creation of primary jobs will translate to secondary and tertiary job creation; rising tides lift all boats. 

And, if job creation wasn’t enough, the investment pledges keep rolling in. President Trump pledged $14 billion in investments into U.S. manufactured steel. European firms pledged $600 billion in new U.S. investments over four years. $90 billion in energy and technology investments were announced specifically in Pennsylvania. Our state will lead the race against China for Artificial Intelligence dominance, courtesy of $4.5 million in investment from technology giants like Anthropic and Meta, and free training courses provided by Google in their new initiative, “AI Works for PA.” 

The U.S.-E.U. trade deal and others like it promise a bright future by reversing poor policies, safeguarding workers, expanding exports, and drawing investment to fulfill the America First agenda. We’ve been provided with the blueprint for success, now it’s time for Pennsylvanians to seize it.

Mayor Jondavid “JD” Longo serves as chair of the America First Policy Institute’s Pennsylvania chapter, and as mayor of Slippery Rock Borough, Pennsylvania. He previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and as a professor of political science, economics, history and education.