Contact: Roy Houseman (202) 778-4384
(Pittsburgh) -- United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard released the following statement today after the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted unanimously that there is a reasonable indication of injury or threat of injury to U.S. producers from dumped imports of certain carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate (CTL plate) from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Taiwan and Turkey.
The ITC also voted to proceed on subsidy cases against all of these countries except for Brazil, where imports were deemed to be negligible.
“This is an important step in helping to restore fair market conditions in this product sector. The U.S. steel industry is under attack by unfair foreign trade. Time after time, it’s the domestic industry and workers who have to challenge foreign protectionism and predatory practices. This case follows many others where America has been targeted by foreign dumping and subsidies that result in massive production and job losses.
“The ITC acknowledged the injury that workers all across the country have felt first hand. More than 13,000 Steelworkers are already out of work from the practices alleged in this case and others such as massive overcapacity. It’s time to have a comprehensive approach to address the threats facing the sector to strengthen America’s economic and national security.”
CTL plate is steel plate that is produced by being cut-to-length from coils and plate that is rolled or forged into a discrete length. It is used in a variety of applications including buildings, bridgework, transmission towers, light poles, equipment for agriculture, construction, mining and heavy transportation, machine parts and tooling and large diameter pipe.
The volume of cut-to-length steel imports surged by over 100 percent between 2013 and 2015, rising from 572 thousand tons to 1.2 million tons. Imports from twelve countries captured an increasing share of the U.S. market over the past three years at the direct expense of competing domestic producers and workers.
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in a wide range of industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/.
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