WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today asserted that the Section 201 remedy that President Bush imposed last year on imported steel is "absolutely the right course of action" He also said strongly supports the continued use of the Section 201 tariffs against the unfair trading practices of foreign steel producers that have harmed our nation's steel industry.

The Congressman was reacting to calls on Capitol Hill from some members of Congress who believe trade should always be unrestricted. Some members have called for ending the Section 201 remedy.

In March 2002, President Bush announced a three-year series of temporary trade measures to safeguard the U.S. steel industry against injury from imports. Steel tariffs range form 8% to 30% on nine categories of steel and slab imports. The President's action followed a ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) specifically stating that the U.S. steel industry had been seriously "injured" in recent years by a flood of foreign imports.

Many of the products mentioned in the ITC finding are produced at Bethlehem Steel Corp's Sparrows Point facility, such as flat-rolled, cold-rolled, and coated steel. The Congressman, a member of the Congressional Steel Caucus and a member of the Ways and Means Committee that has jurisdiction over trade issues, represents many of the workers and retirees at the Sparrows Point facility.

Since the imposition of the Section 201 remedy the steel industry has used the breathing room of the Section 201 to begin to consolidate and strengthen the U.S. steel industry.

"The U.S. steel industry has been seriously harmed by the illegal flood of foreign imports. Many U.S. steel companies – including Bethlehem Steel – have been forced into Chapter 11. The Section 201 remedy is an important tool to ensure fair trade practices for steel," said Rep. Cardin.

The Congressman stressed that the production of steel in the United States is vital to our national security and "this is not the time to step aside and let it collapse. What is at stake here is the viability of our nation's manufacturing base. I don't think we want to be dependent on foreign steel for building roads, skyscrapers or tanks."

In 2001, Bethlehem Steel Corp. filed for bankruptcy. This February, Beth Steel announced it would sell all of its assets to the Cleveland-based International Steel Group, Inc. The final sale must be approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.