U.S. Senator Steve Daines visited the Sibanye-Stillwater Columbus metallurgical complex, meeting with miners and touring the facility. During his visit, Daines highlighted President Trump’s recent decision to impose anti-dumping duties on Russian palladium imports, which he said would help protect mining jobs in Montana.
“Montana mining is back. The Stillwater Mine is absolutely critical for Montana’s economy and for America’s national security, and I’m thrilled that President Trump has recognized its importance and is fighting to protect Montana jobs. Thank you to all the miners and employees at Stillwater- we can’t commend you enough for your hard work,” said Daines.
Heather McDowell, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Sibanye-Stillwater, commented on the administration’s actions: “We at Sibanye-Stillwater are proud to mine and recycle critical minerals in Montana for the USA. We believe the US can and must continue to responsibly produce domestic critical minerals, like our platinum and palladium, under US standards and not be captive to foreign adversaries from unregulated regions, like Russia, who are competing in our global markets. The Trump Administration’s enforcement of US trade law in its preliminary imposition of 132% tariffs on Russian palladium imports will help level this playing field. We are especially grateful to Senator Daines for his unwavering commitment to our people and operations. Keeping Russian palladium out of the US market has contributed to the prices we needed to ensure that we can keep producing critical minerals for generations to come.”
Daines has made addressing unfair trade practices by Russia regarding critical minerals a priority. In November 2024, Sibanye-Stillwater laid off 700 workers following what was described as a lack of action from the Biden administration concerning Russia’s trade behavior. In response, Daines introduced legislation aimed at addressing these issues in September 2024 and again in February 2025.
Daines also sent several letters urging corrective measures from the Trump Administration regarding Russian trade practices impacting Montana mining.
Daines represents Montana in the U.S. Senate official website. He grew up in Bozeman, Montana as a fifth-generation Montanan official website, attended public schools there, and earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Montana State University official website. He engages in public service through constituent assistance and Senate committee work official website, provides constituent services such as help with federal agencies and veterans resources official website, and has received awards for transparency and staff support from the Congressional Management Foundation official website.
