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“THE STEEL CRISIS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E835 on May 4, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE STEEL CRISIS
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HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 4, 1999
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, here we are, six weeks after we passed the Bipartisan Steel Recovery Act by an overwhelming margin, seven months after we called on the President to take all necessary action to end illegal steel imports, and nearly two years after the flood of illegal steel imports began to hit our markets, and still the crisis continues.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that steel imports rose from February to March of this year by 25 percent. During the same period imports from Japan rose 36 percent, imports from Brazil rose 54 percent, imports from Korea rose by 11 percent, and imports from Indonesia rose 339 percent.
The problem becomes even more evident when you compare March's figures to those of July 1997 before the crisis began. Using that time frame, imports from Japan are up 22 percent, imports from Brazil are up 25 percent, imports from Korea are up 77 percent, and imports from Indonesia are up a remarkable 889 percent. Mr. Speaker, this is unacceptable.
Last Thursday, the Department of Commerce announced its final determination that Japan has been dumping steel on American markets. By the Administration's own words, foreign nations are breaking trade laws. Yet, despite the rhetoric, the Administration continues to stand by and do nothing but claim that the situation is improving, even when the numbers show otherwise.
President Clinton declared in his State of the Union Address in January that ``We must enforce our trade laws when imports unlawfully flood our nation.'' He threatened Japan by stating, ``if the nation's sudden surge of steel imports into our country is not reversed, America will respond.'' However, it was Japan that responded with imports in January that were up 75 percent from pre-crisis levels. After a brief dip in February, during which the Administration was fooled into believing that its empty rhetoric and useless posturing was actually working to stem the tide, Japan resumed dumping by increasing its March imports 36 percent over February's numbers and 22 percent over pre-
crisis levels.
Mistakenly convinced of the correctness of their own ineffectual policies, President Clinton's advisers continue to delude him that their approach will bear fruit. The Administration has focused on warnings of action that no nation believes will ever come. As evidence, just yesterday, the President said during a press conference, ``We will take action if steel imports do not return to their pre-crisis levels on a consistent basis. Playing by the rules of trade is the best way to sustain a consensus for open trade.'' After the Administration failed to act on its first admonition to the Japanese, and on every warning since, the credibility of the threat has disappeared. Given the clear fact that the President can no longer be counted on to do anything more than just talk about enforcing our trade laws, instead of taking direct action, Congress must fill the void.
The need for action may now be greater than ever. Foreign countries can now rely on the Clinton Administration's unwillingness to deter their attempts to flaunt our trade laws, dump steel on American markets and drive American steelworkers out of work. The Senate must repudiate the Administration's message and finish the job we in the House began by passing the Bipartisan Steel Recovery Act. We have seen what the White House will, and will not, do if given the chance. Congress must now do what the Clinton Administration has proven incapable of and end the surge of illegal steel imports onto our shores that is driving hardworking American families out of work and away from their dreams.
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