Answer:
The reason is that the companies believed that they were able to compete against global and domestic rivals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason for companies to be against the protection is that they believed that they didn't need it because they had advantages that allow them to compete against competitors from other countries. However, if the US would have established a protection from imports, the countries of the companies affected by the measure could have established similar restrictions that wouldn't allow these companies to compete in other markets.