Some U.S. steel executives and other business leaders are hoping that their companies get a bump from a border wall that’s mostly been derided by critics and even some U.S. federal agencies as ineffective.
After a recent showdown over a White House request for $5 billion to fund the border wall, the Street is now reporting that a new request for $18 billion would go toward over 700 miles of walls along the southern U.S. border.
Reports show that the administration has talked to to various companies about building some prototypes of wall sections made out of hardened concrete, as well as rebar and steel.
News from as far back as September of 2017 showed the government working with W.G. Yates and Sons to assess wall prototypes.
“According to the CBP release, the prototype walls are expected to have ‘robust physical characteristics’ and be between 18 [and] 30 feet high,” wrote Jim Brock in the Meridian Star at the time.
Texas Sterling is another company that has been named in reports, and was part of a story in March of 2018 that showed contractors “standing out of the spotlight” in wall discussions.
Then there are materials firms: Martin Marietta ($MLM), Vulcan ($VMC) and Eagle are three firms cited as possible contributors.
Other beneficiaries of a Trump wall would be U.S. steel firms. Companies like U.S. Steel Corp. and Nucor ($NUE) are looking at brand new musings from Trump of a “steel barrier” instead of just concrete, and some equities are moving accordingly.
That’s all assuming that the wall ever gets built at all. Public estimates suggest that only 25% of congressional Republicans support the border wall funding and of course Democrats widely reject the idea of paying for a border wall as evidenced by explosive meetings between Trump, Schumer and Pelosi. Among losers would be taxpayers on the hook for the money used to erect a physical wall across hundreds of miles.
The president remains uncowed.
Brand new reports on what’s in store for Trump’s itinerary show the president plans a trip to the border in order to shore up support for one of his most central campaign promises.
“President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis,” tweeted White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “More details will be announced soon.”
Look for more on how the wall is coming along as the new year progresses.
