Reps. Doyle, English, Hart, Murphy Introduce Bill to Require Expanded, Permanent Steel Import Monitoring

Pittsburgh, PA - U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (D-PA-14) joined U.S. Representatives Phil English (R-PA-3), Melissa Hart (R-PA-4), and Tim Murphy (R-PA-18) today in announcing the introduction of The Steel Import Monitoring Act, H.R. 1068 – legislation that would require the U.S. Commerce Department to expand and permanently track certain imports of steel products. The current steel import monitoring program is set to expire March 20, 2005.

H.R. 1068 would expand and make permanent the steel import monitoring program that was established as part of the president’s steel safeguard action in 2002. This bill would cover the following headings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule: 7206-7229 [mill products]; 7301-7307 [rails, structurals, pipe and tubes, fittings and flanges]; 7308 [fabricated structurals]; 7310.10 [barrels and drums]; 7312 [strand and rope]; 7313 [barbed and fence wire] ; 7314-7315; and 7317 [fabricated wire]. Continuing the steel import monitoring program on a permanent basis and expanding it to cover all steel mill products will not in anyway inhibit imports nor will it directly contribute to price increases for covered products.

“A healthy domestic steel industry is essential for both our national security and strong economic growth,” Congressman Doyle said. “Consequently, I strongly supported the anti-dumping action that the Administration undertook several years ago, and I believe that it was terminated far too quickly. I am certain that foreign steel producers will try dumping steel in the United States again in the near future – and we need to have a monitoring system in place to warn us when they do, so that we can take swift action and prevent the loss of any more steelmaking plants and jobs.”

“We appreciate the support of Reps. English, Doyle, Hart and Murphy, who recognize the critical value of accurate and timely import information,” said Dan D. Sandman, Vice Chairman and chief legal and administrative officer for U.S. Steel. “Especially in a market such as steel's – which has been characterized by dumping, subsidization and sudden import surges for decades – having an extended and expanded import monitoring system in place will lead to better government policy decisions as well as a more efficient marketplace.”

“Today, my colleagues and I urge passage of this bipartisan bill to expand and make permanent the vital steel import monitoring program and further guard against the kind of surge in steel imports that devastated our domestic industry and put many thousands out of work six years ago,” said English, a member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus. “This program has been an indispensable tool for our steel producers and policymakers to better track the heavily distorted global steel sector and take appropriate action. We must not allow the steel import monitoring mechanism to expire.”

“Our steel industry was devastated by the surge of imports into our country at the end of the 1990's,” said Hart, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. “Rep. English’s import monitoring legislation will allow the industry and the administration to keep an eye out for warning signs of another possible wave of imports that could harm our market.”

All four Representatives are members of the Congressional Steel Caucus, which has developed and promoted legislation to guard the United States’ steel industry and manufacturing sector against unfair trade, including urging the Administration to impose Section 201 safeguard protections for our domestic steel industry in 2002. The Caucus has urged the Bush Administration to use its rule-making authority to make the steel import monitoring program permanent before it expires.

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