Vice President JD Vance promoting ‘manufacturing renaissance’ on trip to SC steel mill

Vice President JD Vance will tour Nucor Steel’s plant in Berkeley County, his first trip to South Carolina since assuming office in January.

Nucor, which markets itself as the largest producer and recycler of steel in North America, is hosting Vance on Thursday. During the visit, Vance is expected to promote the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term and what the administration is calling a “manufacturing renaissance.”

He will be joined by the Environmental Protection Agency Chief Lee Zeldin.

Trump’s plan for the supposed renaissance has centered around imposing tariffs — taxes paid by the importing company or buyer to the government that issued them, in this case the U.S. The president’s 25% tariffs on foreign steel shipped into the country went into effect last month.

Nucor, which is headquartered in Charlotte and employs some 1,000 people at its Lowcountry plant, did not respond to the SC Daily Gazette’s request for comment. But the company has been a supporter of Trump’s tariffs from the get-go, telling multiple national media outlets the president’s trade policy will bring a revival in American made goods.

“It’s not a free trade, it’s fair-trade and creating a level playing field, I believe these tariffs are going to do that,” Nucor CEO Leon Topalian said during a February CNBC interview.

The company says it currently produces roughly a quarter of all raw steel refined in the U.S.

Meanwhile other industries, such as South Carolina’s multibillion-dollar automobile sector, have worried about the potential negative impact of tariffs.

John McGrath, the recently elected head of the Berkeley County GOP said the visit “highlights the vital role Berkeley County plays in American manufacturing.”

“I’m proud to welcome him and appreciate his focus on the hardworking people who power our local economy,” he said.