U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick visits Lehigh Heavy Forge with Congressman Ryan Mackenzie | State

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Congressman Ryan Mackenzie set foot inside Lehigh Heavy Forge in Bethlehem on Wednesday.

The company provides critical materials for the U.S. defense, energy, and mining industries.

“They are fundamental to our ability and our defense, so we need to make sure they’re thriving and succeeding and our steel policy and our steel tariffs of the Trump administration are taking care of these guys and making sure they’re strong and making sure they’re steel workers and steel workers union remains really strong cause it’s vital for America,” said Secretary Lutnick.

“I think it’s important to highlight when we have visitors who come in from the federal level that this manufacturing is still going on right here in our local community, and it’s critically important that you protect these types of manufacturing bases because once they are gone they are almost impossible to bring back,” said Congressman Mackenzie.

The secretary’s visit comes amid a trade war between the U.S. and Canada. We asked him where the sees trade talks headed between the two nations. Lutnick said the U.S. offered Canada an “amazing deal.”

“My guess is we’re going to have to go back and forth between us, but at the end of the day, our $30 trillion economy and their $3 trillion economy. They’re just not the same. They’re going to want to do business with the greatest customer in the world– the U.S. consumer and Canada will figure out a way to treat us fairly, treat us right in Canada and make a deal that makes sense for America,” said Secretary Lutnick.

Mackenzie’s challenger, Democrat Bob Brooks, weighed in on Wednesday’s visit. He said the incumbent congressman voted repeatedly to block the release of the Epstein files. In a statement, he said, in part:

“The people of the Lehigh Valley deserve a congressman who stands up to the powerful, not one who campaigns with associates of Jeffrey Epstein. This is disgraceful behavior.”

You can watch the full, exclusive interview with Secretary Lutnick and Congressman Mackenzie below.