The United Steelworkers, along with Appleton Coated LLC, NewPage Corp., and Sappi Fine Paper North America, applauded today's decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission to proceed with a full investigation of coated paper imports from China and Indonesia.

The companies and the USW filed unfair trade cases on Sept. 23 with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the ITC alleging that certain coated paper from China and Indonesia had been dumped and subsidized resulting in injury to the domestic industry and its employees.  The paper products covered by the petitions include coated paper used in high-quality writing, printing, and other graphic applications using sheet-fed presses with a GE brightness rating of 80 or higher up and weighing to 340 grams per square meter.
        
Leo W. Gerard, USW international president, cited as evidence of injury, a coated paper mill closure in Michigan earlier this year, on top of previous job losses at idled, or closed plants and paper machines in Maine, Wisconsin and other states. “We cannot stand by and let imports unfairly take away our good jobs and shutdown factories,” he declared. “Trade laws between nations must be enforced with government fact finding and the power to defend jobs and industries with strong tariff penalties for import violations.” More...