ITC PREPARES “REMEDY PHASE” FOR INJUROUS STEEL IMPORTS

ITC PREPARES “REMEDY PHASE” FOR INJUROUS STEEL IMPORTS

ITC PREPARES “REMEDY PHASE” FOR INJUROUS STEEL IMPORTS

   The U.S. International Trade Commission has started the “remedy phase” for steel imports that have injured domestic producers.
   The commission said it would release the details of the remedy phase soon, and hearings this phase will be held in early November.
   For purposes of the investigation, the ITC divided steel imports in 33 product categories, such as rebar, rails, wire nails and cold-rolled steel. The commission found that 12 of these imported products caused “serious injury or threat of serious injury” to the U.S. steel injury.
   The ITC was evenly divided in its determinations for four product categories and made negative determinations for 17 product categories.
   “In cases where the commission is evenly divided, both determinations will be forwarded to the president, who may consider either determination as the commission’s determination,” the ITC said. “For those products where the commission reached a negative determinations, the commission’s investigation ends.”
   The imported products covered by the commission’s affirmative and evenly divided determinations accounted for 27 million tons of steel (74 percent of the imports under investigation) valued at $10.7 billion in 2000.
   A public report concerning the investigation will be available after the ITC submits its findings and remedy recommendations to President Bush on Dec. 19.