WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today applauded the International Trade Commission’s (ITC) finding that the U.S. steel industry has been injured by cold-rolled steel imports from Brazil, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. This positive decision is good news for Ohio steel companies and will result in new antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CVD) duty orders against the countries’ steel imports. The ITC did not find Russia had engaged in unfair trade practices in regards to cold-rolled steel. This determination follows the ITC’s June determination that steel imports from China and Japan will also be subject to AD and CVD duties.
“Unfair trade practices threaten the stability of our steel industry – putting Ohio jobs at risk and hurting the economy,” said Brown. “When other countries don’t play by the rules, the U.S. government must take action to protect American manufacturers. It’s disappointing that the ITC did not recognize Russia’s unfair trade practices, but the enforcement of antidumping and countervailing duties on cold-rolled steel imports from Brazil, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom is a good step forward in providing the steel industry with the relief it needs.”
Last month, Brown wrote a letter to ITC Chair Irving Williamson pushing for Russia to be included in the ITC’s investigation and noting that the Commerce Department had found Russia’s cold-rolled steel products to have been unfairly traded. He also testified at a hearing on the case in May. The cold-rolled steel case is one of three filed by U.S. steel companies, including: U.S. Steel, AK Steel, ArcelorMittal, and Nucor, all of which have Ohio locations and together employ more than 8,255 Ohioans.
Brown has worked to crack down on countries that unfairly import their products into the U.S. In April, Brown called on the Administration to bring a World Trade Organization (WTO) case against China in an efforts to address steel overcapacity, which has hurt the domestic steel industry.
Brown’s legislation, the Leveling the Playing Field Act, introduced in March 2015 and signed into law in June 2015, has restored strength to AD and CVD duty statutes that allow businesses and workers in the United States to petition the Commerce Department and the ITC when foreign producers sell goods in the U.S. below market price or receive illegal subsidies. This legislation helped the companies succeed in today’s case.
The four companies with Ohio locations that filed this case have a presence in the following areas:
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