Englishmen engaged in producing finished iron products were eager to increase the supply of pig and bar iron, and, as expected, this group supported the Iron Act of 1750. Since at least 1736, these English enter prisers encouraged colonial producers of bar and pig iron in the same spirit that certain groups in England encouraged the colonial production of pitch, tar, and turpentine. A correspondent to The Gentleman's Magazine supported the idea of encouraging American pig iron and excluding the Swedes.
"For Whereas the Swedish markets receive none of our British manufactures in exchange of theirs, but drain us of our ready specie, and thereby consume the very vitals of the nation; our brethern of America on the contrary will, for their pig and bar iron, take the very same commodity back again manufactured into locks, nails, utensils, and other various implements necessary for their accommodation; so that the mother country has the benefit of employing her own hands for the colonies in the very same commodity they send her for the common use of both."
Later in 1770, Arthur Young, in Travels to Northern England, observed of iron works near Newcastle:
"They use a great deal of American iron, which is as good as Swedish, and for some purposes better. They would use more of it, if larger quantities were to be had, but they cannot get it."The document is one of a number of petitions submitted.