U.S. Crane Industry Pushes Back on Section 232 Tariffs as Costs, Delays, and Safety Risks Mount

30-Second Takeaway

Section 232 steel tariffs, originally designed to protect U.S. national security and domestic metals production, are placing significant strain on the American crane industry. With the vast majority of all-terrain mobile cranes manufactured overseas and critical high-tensile steel unavailable domestically, industry leaders warn the tariffs are driving up costs, delaying infrastructure projects, increasing safety risks, and unintentionally benefiting Chinese manufacturers. A recent letter from LiftHigh Crane & Rigging CEO Mike Appling Jr. outlines the real-world consequences and calls for targeted policy relief.

Section 232 and Its Impact on Mobile Cranes

In U.S. trade law, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorizes tariffs on imports deemed a threat to national security. In 2018, these tariffs were applied to steel and aluminum products.

While the intention was to strengthen domestic metals production, the policy also swept in downstream, steel-intensive equipment, including mobile cranes.

For the crane sector, the impact has been particularly acute. All-terrain mobile cranes are overwhelmingly manufactured outside the United States, primarily in Germany and Japan, with fewer than 3% produced domestically. Compounding the issue, the high-tensile steels required for modern crane design are not manufactured in the U.S., leaving owners with no viable domestic alternatives.

Industry leaders argue the result is not stronger American manufacturing, but higher equipment costs, delayed fleet renewal, and disruptions to infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects ultimately suppressing job creation and competitiveness.

An Industry Veteran Speaks Out

To highlight the real-world implications, Crane Hub presents a letter sent to President Trump by Mike Appling Jr., Owner and CEO of LiftHigh Crane & Rigging, LLC.

Appling draws on decades of leadership experience, including growing TNT Crane & Rigging from $30 million to more than $500 million in revenue, to explain how Section 232 tariffs are affecting crane procurement, project delivery, workforce stability, and safety across the U.S

Letter from Mike Appling Jr., Owner and CEO, LiftHigh Crane & Rigging, LLC

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and to consider our strong concerns about the $232 steel tariff on mobile cranes. I am writing as a long-term CEO in the crane service industry. At my former company, my team and I grew TNT Crane & Rigging from $30 million to over $500 million in revenues and into one of the top five largest crane companies in North America. I have formed a new company this year, LiftHigh Crane & Rigging. Our company is committed to supporting critical construction, infrastructure, and energy projects.

We have a tremendous team with collective industry management experience spanning over 100 years. As part of our endeavor to be an industry leader, we are pro-American production and fully support fair trade. However, as outlined below, §232 steel tariff on mobile cranes does NOT advance either of these objectives, is currently inflicting significant pain on crane companies, and in fact will have potentially dire consequences on both the crane industry and the U.S. economy as a whole.

All-terrain (AT) cranes are required for capital and maintenance work on foundational infrastructure (e.g. bridge beams, hospitals, schools and apartments) as well as other commercial and industrial facilities that are critical to our economy such as power plants, refineries, petrochemical plants, cell towers, LNG plants, data centers and chip plants. With less than 3% of global AT cranes manufactured in the U.S., imports from Germany and Japan are not just necessary, but vital. Further, the high-tensile steel required for AT cranes is not manufactured in the U.S. Therefore, §232 does not advance buy-American or trade balancing objectives.

Unintended and detrimental consequences include:

1. Shutdown of imports  Cranes have become unaffordable, effectively stopping imports.

2. Project delays and cancellations  Projects are delayed or cancelled, and crews are not hired.

3. Inflation –Limited crane availability drives prices and project costs higher.

4. Conflict with infrastructure goals –Tariffs remove the very tools required to build American infrastructure.

5. Supply chain disruption  Manufacturers are reallocating cranes away from the U.S. market.

6. Chinese manufacturers gain ground –U.S. companies are forced toward Chinese cranes.

7. Safety risks increase –Aging fleets and lower-quality equipment increase injury and fatality risks.

My company has cancelled orders for four cranes projects and jobs that depended on them are now in limbo. This directly impacts American workers and their families.

I respectfully urge your Administration to reconsider the application of Section 232 tariffs on mobile cranes and related equipment.

Respectfully,

Mike Appling Jr.

Owner and CEO

LiftHigh Crane & Rigging, LLC

Commendation

Well done to Mike Appling Jr., Owner and CEO of LiftHigh Crane & Rigging, LLC, for stepping up to voice the concerns of crane owners, operators, and suppliers nationwide. His decision to engage directly with policymakers reflects leadership in action advocating for pragmatic solutions that support safe, reliable lifting operations, protect jobs, and keep critical projects on schedule. The industry benefits when stakeholders like Mr. Appling bring data, experience, and a constructive tone to the conversation. His efforts are an important push toward meaningful change that can positively impact the crane industry as a whole.

About LiftHigh Crane & Rigging, LLC

LiftHigh Crane & Rigging, LLC is a U.S.-based crane and rigging company purpose-built to support large-scale infrastructure, industrial, energy, and commercial construction projects across North America. Founded by industry veteran Mike Appling Jr., LiftHigh was established to meet growing market demand for reliable, safety-driven lifting solutions amid increasingly complex project requirements.

The company is backed by a leadership team with more than 100 years of combined crane and rigging management experience, drawing on deep expertise in fleet strategy, engineered lifting, workforce development, and large-project execution. LiftHigh’s operational philosophy centres on safety, equipment reliability, workforce stability, and long-term customer partnerships, positioning the company to support critical projects where performance and schedule certainty are non-negotiable.

LiftHigh is firmly pro-American manufacturing and fair trade, while also advocating for pragmatic policy frameworks that recognise the realities of specialised equipment supply chains. The company’s leadership remains actively engaged in industry dialogue to ensure crane owners, operators, and customers can continue delivering the infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing capacity required to sustain economic growth.

Website: https://www.lifthighcrane.com

About Mike Appling Jr.

Mike Appling Jr. is the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of LiftHigh Crane & Rigging, LLC and one of the most experienced and influential leaders in the North American crane industry. Over a multi-decade career, Appling has been directly involved in fleet expansion, mergers and acquisitions, operational scaling, and workforce development across some of the industry’s most complex operating environments.

Prior to founding LiftHigh, Appling served as a senior executive at TNT Crane & Rigging, where he played a key role in growing the company from approximately $30 million in revenue to more than $500 million, transforming it into one of the top five crane companies in North America. His leadership experience spans capital-intensive fleet investment, national account management, safety governance, and execution of large infrastructure and energy projects.

Appling is widely respected for his data-driven, safety-first approach and his willingness to engage directly with policymakers on issues affecting the crane industry. His advocacy around Section 232 tariffs reflects a broader commitment to protecting American jobs, project delivery certainty, and equipment safety standards, while ensuring the crane sector remains globally competitive.