Steel coalition calls for elimination of tariffs

Steel coalition calls for elimination of tariffs    A group of more than 80 port operators, unions and other maritime and transport industry organizations said steel import tariffs and quotas imposed by the Bush administration is 'one of the most threatening U.S. trade policies in recent memory.'
   The Free Trade In Steel Coalition, formed in 2001, has led a national campaign to repeal the Section 201 tariffs imposed by Bush in March 2002. The tariffs are in effect until March 2005.
   The coalition said a Sept. 19 mid-term review by the International Trade Commission 'recognizes the negative effects of the tariffs on port and labor interests. The ITC referenced a comprehensive economic study prepared by Martin Associates, commissioned by the FTSC in 2001, which concluded that more than 38,000 direct, induced and indirect U.S. jobs were dependent on handling of imported steel products.'
   In a letter to President Bush, the coalition said, 'while we recognize it is certainly not your intent to cause job loss or harm the international competitiveness of steel-related industries, this is in fact an unfortunate side effect of the policy as it now stands.'
   The coalition said, most recently, various International Longshoremen's Association locals have joined to oppose the import tariffs.
   'This issue is so threatening that it has brought maritime labor and business leaders together,' said Martin Mascuilli, treasurer of ILA Local 1291 in Philadelphia, who said a 29-percent reduction in steel shipments over the past year in the Delaware River port region has lead to a loss of $3.4 million in wage and fringe benefits for ILA workers.
   The Port of Houston said steel imports for April 2002-March 2003 were down 456,468 tons over the year-earlier period. ILA in the region said it lost 33,400 man-hours during the period and about $1.1 million in wages and fringe benefits.
   The West Gulf Maritime Association, which represents 76 maritime firms in the western region of the Gulf of Mexico, said the aggregate loss from steel imports is an estimated $6.6 million.
   The Port of New Orleans steel tonnage decreased 26 percent to 1.36 million tons last year. ILA members said they saw a 25-percent drop in hours worked.