Commission finds corrosion-resistant steel from China, Korea and elsewhere sold here unfairly.
Earlier this week, the International Trade Commission okayed steep tariffs on cold-rolled steel flat products from China and Japan. China got an extra helping of markup on its steel imports as the ITC approved not only anti-dumping duties, like those that were also applied to Japan, but countervailing duties as well.
Today is Friday, and Friday has brought another vote on whether or not another imported steel product was dumped in the American market.
Similar vote, similar result.
The ITC will be issuing an antidumping duty order on imports of corrosion-resistant steel products from China, India, Italy, Korea, and Taiwan; as well as a countervailing duty order for all of those countries, except for Taiwan.
You’re gonna notice the common denominator through both their rulings and to whom they applied: China, which has been the target of a lot of international grumbling because it won’t stop making and selling state-subsidized steel abroad, despite very little demand. In fact, China’s steel exports are still rising, though much of the glut it’s shipped into international market has not come to U.S. shores – thanks, in no small part, to Washington slowly getting serious about keeping artificially cheap steel out of the American market.
This is better late than never. Said Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul:
While today's decision provides relief, the damage has already been done. Until our manufacturers are given the ability to proactively defend themselves, they will be forced to wade in deep waters, with American workers’ livelihoods at risk.
Know what we shouldn’t do? Give China an unearned market economy status, and make it easier for its state-supported steel sector to sell steel in the United States.