As the U.S. Senate race between Jon Husted and Sherrod Brown intensifies, economic concerns are taking center stage. Voters are understandably focused on jobs, growth and the future of American industry. This makes it all the more urgent to elect leaders who understand the vital role of U.S. manufacturing, particularly as unfairly traded imports threaten to dismantle critical industries like mine, putting thousands of Ohioan manufacturing jobs at risk.

As president of manufacturing at Pennex in Leetonia, I regularly walk the floor and meet with our great American workers, who are the backbone of our aluminum extrusion business. Every extrusion we produce represents countless hours of highly skilled labor, significant investment in advanced machinery and a steadfast commitment to innovation that keeps our company competitive. Every aluminum extrusion supports critical infrastructure and advances national security interests.

When President Trump imposed a Section 232 aluminum tariff in 2018, the objective was straightforward: defend American aluminum producers and downstream manufacturers from the unfairly traded imports that threatened domestic production. This policy was designed to restore balance to a market distorted by subsidized overseas competitors while strengthening the foundation of American industry.

For a manufacturing powerhouse like Ohio, the impact was significant. The tariff provided long-overdue relief to domestic producers and sent a clear message that the United States would defend its industrial base from unfair trade practices.

However, in the years that followed, wavering tariff enforcement and leniency within the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement framework created new vulnerabilities. China moved production to Mexico, exploiting USMCA benefits to avoid tariffs on Chinese aluminum imports. Mexican manufacturers began importing Chinese aluminum, processing it into finished or semi-finished goods, and shipping these products into the United States tariff-free under the USMCA. Mexican aluminum extruders flooded the U.S. with unfairly traded metal at the direct expense of U.S. aluminum extruders like Pennex and the workers our industry supports. Canada and Mexico became entry points for unfairly traded aluminum and conduits for duty evasion that eroded gains made by the U.S. aluminum extrusion industry.

As USMCA renewal approaches, Mexico and Canada are lobbying for a tariff exemption tied to the agreement’s renewal, making a desperate bid for the enormous benefits they received from their earlier exemption at the expense of U.S. jobs.

We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. This time, we must maintain the aluminum tariff even when foreign countries demand exemptions. Any exceptions to the aluminum tariff will result in a renewed flood of unfairly traded aluminum products entering the country and wiping out Ohioan jobs.

At Pennex, we take pride in an employee- and customer-centered culture, treating our workforce with respect, dignity and opportunities for advancement. These are real jobs and real people, not numbers on a spreadsheet or political pawns, and they are at risk.

This is why the USMCA renegotiation is so important. In its current form, the USMCA has minimal content requirements for aluminum products entering the U.S., which enables countries outside of North America to set up shop in our backyard while enjoying the agreement’s benefits. The 50% aluminum tariff is the only policy that stands between these unfairly traded imports and further weakening of the U.S. aluminum supply chain.

Ultimately, strong enforcement of the 50% aluminum tariff without exclusions or exemptions will ensure the agreement is fair for each country, prevent the USMCA from being exploited by countries outside of North America seeking to evade duties and expand the benefits of such an agreement to the entire aluminum supply chain. By moving to close a significant tariff loophole harming American extruders, the Trump administration has already shown it can make the right decision as this agreement approaches renewal.

This is not a red or blue issue; this is an opportunity to protect the American worker in a critical industry. With thousands of Ohio jobs on the line, the time to stand up for American aluminum manufacturing is now. Ohio voters are watching.

Mark Butterfield is chairman of the U.S. Aluminum Extruders Coalition and president of Manufacturing at Pennex in Leetonia.