Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Clevel-cliffs
Search every verified Clifford Smith interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Clifford Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Cleveland-Cliffs, has been represented in public statements by the company's CEO, Lourenco Goncalves. In September 2021, Goncalves stated that the infrastructure bill was needed and that Cleveland-Cliffs would play a significant role as a producer of plate and flat rolled steel. He said the company was prepared to support infrastructure initiatives and could continue to grow its U.S. business in an environmentally friendly manner. Goncalves described the United States as the most environmentally compliant steel-producing country and argued that more steel should be produced domestically and less in China, which he said was responsible for a disproportionate share of global pollution. In June 2018, Goncalves discussed steel tariffs, stating they were needed to level the playing field against China, which he accused of creating an unfair trade environment through low wages, pollution, and subsidies. He said the U.S. had been producing less steel than it consumed for an extended period, unlike other developed nations. Goncalves acknowledged that tariffs could have collateral effects but argued the U.S. needed to produce its own steel to meet domestic demand. He also addressed Canadian steel production, stating that if steel was not produced in Canada, Cleveland-Cliffs would supply pellets to U.S. mills.
“The infrastructure bill is definitely needed as we know, and Cleveland-Cliffs will play a big role. We are big producers of plate and flat rolled steel, and we are ready to support all the initiatives.”
“There is nothing that could preclude us from continuing to grow this business here in the United States organically in an environmentally friendly fashion.”
“We are the most environmentally compliant and friendly steel producing country in the entire world, producing steel in the United States, and companies like Cleveland-Cliffs are great for the environment.”
“We need to do more steel production in the U.S. and less in China, which is polluting the world.”
“The U.S. produces about 2% of the world's steel, while China produces more than 60%. People treat China as if it's a developing country and excuse their pollution, but that's not right.”
“We need to level the playing field. China has been the perpetrator of a lot of different actions in terms of making trade not a level playing field throughout the entire world, particularly here in the United States. There we have been their playground for a long, long time.”
“The tariffs were implemented to protect the domestic market and to bring back the unfair cost advantage that these outsiders have when they sell in the United States, and the unfair advantage is three-fold: low salaries paid to the workers, the worst of all the pollution they are creating to produce, and the subsidies.”
“There is no remedy without collateral effects. We are now prepared to deal with the collateral effect. On the other hand, the United States is a manufacturing country and will continue to be one, and by being a manufacturing country we will have to produce its own steel to the amount and quality of the demand of the do...”
“We have been producing fewer tons than the demand of the domestic market for a long, long time. How many countries in the developed world produce less tons of steel than they use? Only one: the United States of America.”
“If steel is not produced in Canada, we produce it at this side of the Great Lakes. Americans produce more, who will show the pellets to the Americans to mills. So I'm completely transparent about that, completely neutral.”
Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves discussed what role he expects the steel producer would play in infrastructure ...
Jun.27 -- Lourenco Goncalves, chairman and chief executive officer at Cleveland-Cliffs, discusses the impact of tariffs on U.S. ...
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