DULUTH, MN (NNCNOW.COM) -- U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and other Minnesota lawmakers are forwarding efforts to crack down on illegal steel dumping practices from countries like South Korea and China.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Rick Nolan, and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith met with the U.S. Commerce Secretary, one of President Barack Obama's top economic advisers, and U.S. Trade Ambassadors, at the White House Friday morning to discuss the issue that is harming Minnesota's iron mining companies.

Subsidized imported steel has caused prices to plummet in the Unites States, resulting in plant idling and even closures.

The senior Senator from Minnesota said that illegal steel dumping from foreign countries is a nationwide problem.

"Thousands of workers were also laid off in Indiana in the last week, so this is a United States problem, not just a Minnesota problem," Sen. Klobuchar said after the meeting.

In March, U.S. Steel announced the idling of its Keewatin plant, which will lay off more than 400 miners in May.

"We are working directly with U.S. Steel and Steelworkers to strengthen the law because unless we have really good tools to use against these countries for illegal dumping, they will keep using it," Klobuchar said in response to U.S. Steel's decision to idle the Keewatin plant.

Sen. Klobuchar is working to build a broad coalition of lawmakers to address the problem.

"There is a lot of interest not just from Democrats, but from Republicans to keep these jobs in America."

Sen. Klobuchar also met with the President of U.S. Steel on Thursday.