After hearing from laid-off steel workers, industry officials and an array of elected officials, the Obama Administration is apparently set to take action on the alleged illegal dumping of foreign steel in the United States.

U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan said Monday that he has heard from White House officials in the wake of an unprecedented meeting - held on the Range - with White House Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough.

According to Nolan the administration “is finalizing a plan of action to address massive illegal foreign steel dumping; a crisis that has jeopardized the very survival of our nation’s iron ore mining and steel industries and put thousands of people on Minnesota’s Iron Range and across the country out of work. Specifics of the plan will be revealed over the coming weeks, and I will continue working closely with Denis - a self-described convert to our cause - and his team to help make sure these steps are swift, bold and effective."

Nolan also added that "progress against foreign steel dumping is already taking shape."

Said Nolan: "We have won 157 International Trade Commission (ITC) cases against China and other cheater nations. Tough new preliminary tariffs (taxes) are already in place on foreign cold-rolled steel, hot-rolled steel and corrosion-resistant steel. The American Trade Enforcement Act – for which I was an original cosponsor – is now law, and includes important improvements in antidumping and countervailing duty laws for the first time in 20 years. The omnibus budget agreement, which I also supported and voted for, increases funding for trade enforcement and compliance, allowing the Department of Commerce to speed the determination process and enforcement at the borders to help our iron ore mining, steel and manufacturing industries. Meanwhile, we are continuing to build support for my legislation to impose a five-year moratorium on all foreign steel imports to give those industries time to recover."

 

Source : elyecho.com

Report Abuse