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October
24, 2006
CONGRESSMAN
TED STRICKLAND OFFERS TESTIMONY SUPPORTING CONTINUED STEEL TARIFFS
WASHINGTON
– Congressman Ted Strickland today submitted testimony for the
record to the U.S. International Trade Commission during a five-year
review of antidumping and countervailing duty orders on some types
of corrosion-resistant steel.
“The old adage, ‘Those who cannot learn from history are doomed
to repeat it,’ is certainly applicable here,” Strickland said.
“We know what will happen if restrictions are lifted from
these steel products. We
know because steel dumping has already occurred in the
United States
and, without this system of checks on imports, we can
reasonably predict this will happen again.”
The United States Department of Commerce has already determined
imports of corrosion-resistant steel from the particular
countries would surge should the duties be removed; the ITC
hearing was to determine whether the domestic steel industry would
incur material injury if the duties are discontinued.
“The issue before this Commission is simple,” according to
Strickland’s testimony, “enforce our trade laws.
It is only through vigorous enforcement of these laws that
the domestic steel industry and its workers will be able to compete
in a global marketplace.
“The industry
remains vulnerable in the face of actual and projected increases in
imports, and I know I speak for thousands of steelworkers when I
remind you of the painful lessons we learned when less than
vigorous enforcement of our trade laws opened the floodgates to
illegally-priced steel imports,” Strickland said.
“The ITC has the ability to enforce our trade laws,” Strickland
said. “When steel
import numbers continue to climb, we cannot afford to turn a blind
eye to those who would thwart those laws.
“The
American worker should have the opportunity to compete on a level
playing field. Our steel
industry and steelworkers are the best in the world,” Strickland
said, “but we cannot allow lax enforcement to hobble our steel
manufacturers.”
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