My understanding is that China rapidly went from not producing to producing a lot of steel and aluminum, and though while the U.S. is not a big consumer of chinese steel the global price is pressured because of China's excess production, and a tariff would not effect the NA market of that product (because it consumes from itself) but it would boost revenue for american produducers of steel as the global market would shift because of the tariffs.
It really sounds like burning the house to save, I don't know, the hamster?