Senators push to keep duties on China steel

U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, and Republican Rob Portman, both of Ohio, are pushing the Commerce Department to maintain anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties on Chinese steel pipe imports.

Oil country tubular goods, used for domestic oil exploration, particularly in the shale industry and produced in Ohio by U.S. Steel in Lorain, V&M Star in Youngstown, Wheatland Tube in Warren and JMC Steel in Brookfield, could be the losers if Chinese steel dumping is permitted.

"The oil country tubular steel industry supports hundreds of good-paying Ohio jobs that are vulnerable to unfair trade practices carried out by the Chinese, including currency manipulation and duty evasion," Brown said Monday.

"Our workers can compete with anyone on a level playing field, and import duties help do exactly that. Maintaining import duties is critical to ensuring that the steel pipe industry in Ohio remains intact."

Senators push to keep duties on China steel »