Washington, August 22: Vice President JD Vance has announced that Cleveland-Cliffs will invest $1 billion in its steel production facility located in Middletown, Ohio. He highlighted this project as a prime example of the significant reforms occurring in the U.S. manufacturing sector under President Donald Trump.
Speaking at the Middletown Works plant, Vance stated that this investment will modernize the facility, secure existing jobs, and create new employment opportunities.
“We are here today to announce that Cleveland-Cliffs is investing $1 billion in transformative manufacturing in our own city of Middletown, Ohio,” Vance said. He noted that the company will upgrade its iron-making furnaces and introduce new technologies to improve operations and enhance air quality in the region.
“We are going to implement cutting-edge new technologies to enhance furnace operations and improve air quality in Middletown,” Vance added.
The Vice President linked this initiative to the Trump administration‘s trade, energy, and immigration policies. He pointed out that for decades, the U.S. allowed its manufacturing industry to relocate to countries with cheaper labor and fewer worker protections.
Middletown has also felt this impact, as factories closed or shifted production to countries like China and Mexico.
Vance emphasized that tariffs and controlling illegal immigration are crucial parts of the administration’s strategy to strengthen domestic manufacturing and prioritize American workers in job creation.
“We have told American companies that if they need new employees, they should first train and hire their fellow citizens,” he stated.
According to Vance, since Trump took office, the manufacturing sector has added 83,000 new jobs. He claimed that demand for metal-cutting machines and related tools has reached its highest level in a century.
He reported that during 2026, the manufacturing sector created 229,000 jobs, with average wages in the sector rising by 4.2% year-over-year. These figures were presented during his speech, although no independent data was provided to support them.
The Vice President also addressed the issue of employing foreign workers, accusing some companies of using them to keep wages low.
He mentioned that the administration is ready to impose tariffs on companies that produce goods outside the U.S. and then sell them in the American market.
Vance described Cleveland-Cliffs’ project as an effort to balance industrial development with environmental protection.
He argued that critics often claim that industry and clean air and water cannot coexist. “But we will demonstrate at this plant that both can be achieved together,” he concluded.
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