BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – Vice President JD Vance traveled to Berkeley County on Thursday to tour Nucor, the largest steel manufacturer and recycler in North America.
The trip comes as part of the Trump administration’s effort to spotlight American manufacturing following the president’s first 100 days in office.
“One-hundred days under Donald Trump’s leadership marks the beginning of the industrial renaissance in the United States of America,” Vance told a large crowd of Nucor employees and state leaders. “I believe that the golden age of American manufacturing started 100 days ago, and we’re building it right here at Nucor Steel in South Carolina.”
According to Nucor’s CEO Leon Topalian, the Charlotte-based company produces roughly 25% of all steel consumed in the United States—making it the only steelmaker that manufactures all of its product entirely on American soil.
“The company produces over 3.6 million tons of steel every year. Approximately 1,000 full-time team members are employed at the Berkeley County location,” Topalian added.
Vance’s visit to the Huger facility comes just over two months after Trump reimposed 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, a central component of his administration’s “America First” trade policy.
While the tariffs have led to trade wars with other countries, especially China, Vance defended them during his trip to the Berkeley County steel facility.
“We want to protect your jobs, and most importantly, we want to protect the great work you do right here in South Carolina and all across the United States of America,” Vance stressed. “We want our children to grow up in a country where the things that they need are made by their neighbors and not by foreigners who hate their guts.”
Some industry leaders, including Topalian, support the administration’s trade moves, touting them as a breath of fresh air.
“Since President Trump’s first term in office, Nucor has invested more than $20 billion to grow the company, creating more than 9,000 direct jobs and over 40,000 indirect,” said Topalian, who started his career with the Berkeley County steel manufacturer in 1996.
“And because of what you, Mr. Vice President, and what the president are currently doing in office, Nucor will continue to invest and grow this country,” he continued. “Thank you for your leadership, for the administration continuing to stand up to level the playing field for our American steel producers.”
However, not all voices in the business community back the tariffs. Some critics fear they’re inching the country closer to a recession.
Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn, who represents South Carolina’s sixth congressional district, urged voters to “not be fooled by JD Vance’s rhetoric.”
“The Vice President would be better served by using his visit today to hear from South Carolinians from all walks of life—longshoremen, autoworkers, farmers, aircraft assemblers, hospitality employees, small business owners, and everyone else trying to make ends meet and urging the Administration to alter its approach before it is too late,” Clyburn said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—the largest business organization in the world—argued that the tariffs are potentially more damaging than those that Trump enacted in 2018.
“These tariffs will lead to higher costs for American businesses and consumers, and fewer exports for American companies,” said John G. Murphy, the chamber’s senior vice president for international policy.
One day before Vance’s visit to Nucor, the chamber also sent a letter to Trump requesting an exemption for small companies that have neither the margin nor capital reserves to sustain the increased tariffs.
Despite the criticism, Vance made no apologies for the Trump administration’s trade strategies, calling them necessary to rebuild the American economy.
“They attack us when we implement trade policies that do a very simple thing, rebalance trade in favor of American workers and American businesses instead of foreign workers and foreign corporations,” the vice president said.
Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R) and South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (R) were also on site for Thursday’s event.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin also joined Vance on a private tour of Nucor’s facility.
