Chad Wolf: China's Subsidized Export Drive Puts U.S. Steel, Rare Earths, and Food Security at Risk
Former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf is pressing Washington to hold the line on anti-dumping enforcement, warning that Beijing's state-subsidized export strategy is systematically targeting the industries that underpin American manufacturing, agriculture, and national security. In a published commentary, Wolf ties Chinese dominance in steel, rare earths, glyphosate, and automobiles to a deliberate CCP campaign to make the United States dependent on Chinese supply chains — and argues the Trump administration's tariff agenda is the first credible check on that strategy in a generation.
Key takeaways
- Former Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is urging Washington to maintain anti-dumping enforcement, arguing China's state-subsidized export strategy targets U.S. steel, rare earths, glyphosate, and autos to create supply-chain dependence.
- Chinese steel exports rose 7.5% from 2024 to 2025, global excess steel capacity is projected to hit 721 million metric tons by 2027, and the Trump administration has opened a formal investigation into Chinese steel overcapacity.
- China controls roughly 60% of global rare earth mining, about 90% of refining capacity, and roughly 60% of global glyphosate supply, which Wolf frames as a food-security risk.
- In 2023, China increased car chassis exports into the EU by 327%, which Wolf cites as a preview of the strategy the U.S. auto sector could face.
- President Trump signed the America First Trade Policy Executive Order on his first day back in office, and Sections 201 and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 authorize tariffs against imports designed to harm domestic industries.
Former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf is pressing Washington to hold the line on anti-dumping enforcement, warning that Beijing's state-subsidized export strategy is systematically targeting the industries that underpin American manufacturing, agriculture, and national security. In a published commentary, Wolf ties Chinese dominance in steel, rare earths, glyphosate, and automobiles to a deliberate CCP campaign to make the United States dependent on Chinese supply chains — and argues the Trump administration's tariff agenda is the first credible check on that strategy in a generation.
Steel: 7.5% Export Surge and 721 Million Metric Ton Overhang
China is the world's largest steel producer and exporter, and its steel exports climbed another 7.5% from 2024 to 2025. Global excess steel capacity is projected to reach 721 million metric tons by 2027. The Trump administration has opened a formal investigation into structural overcapacity in Chinese steel production, a probe that could extend the reach of existing Antidumping and Countervailing Duties. Wolf's argument is straightforward: when subsidized Chinese output sets the price floor, American mills are not losing on efficiency — they are losing to a government balance sheet.
Rare Earths: The 60/90 Chokehold
China controls roughly 60% of global rare earth mining and approximately 90% of refining capacity. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum outlined the mechanism Wolf says Beijing repeatedly applies: target a specific mineral, flood the market with supply, drive prices down until domestic producers turn unprofitable, then consolidate dominance once the competition is gone. The same dynamic applies to glyphosate, where China holds roughly 60% of global supply — a concentration Wolf frames as a direct food-security risk given glyphosate's role in herbicide production.
Autos: The European Template
Wolf points to the European market as a preview of what U.S. manufacturers could face. In 2023, China increased car chassis exports into the EU by 327%, a move Wolf characterizes as a deliberate effort to erode European manufacturing capacity. He argues that without sustained enforcement, the U.S. auto sector is exposed to the same strategy.
Enforcement Architecture and the Workaround Risk
President Trump signed the America First Trade Policy Executive Order on his first day back in office, directing a review of existing tariffs and duties on Chinese goods. Congress has armed the administration with Sections 201 and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, authorizing tariffs on imports designed to harm domestic industries. Wolf identifies the core enforcement challenge as the CCP's willingness to reroute goods through third countries and shift product categories whenever a gap opens. His conclusion: every enforcement lapse teaches Beijing it can push further, making sustained pressure at the U.S. Trade Representative the decisive variable in whether the tariff strategy holds.
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Filed by the newsroom of MarketPR on June 29, 2026. Source: foxnews.com. Indicative figures are not investment advice.