The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and its National Steel Bridge Alliance division urged U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman to “enforce trade laws and keep the playing fields level for U.S. fabricators,” the AISC said Thursday (April 14).
The letter to the Trade Representative called out the increasing flow of fabricated steel entering the U.S. from Asia, Europe, Mexico, and Canada, “often at prices well below market.”
“This unfair trade activity including government subsidization and currency manipulation, takes jobs away from U.S. steel fabricators and their employees,” the AISC said.
The AISC and NSBA represent structural steel fabricators, a nationwide array of small companies that purchase raw steel and fabricate it into shapes and girders for bridge, building and other construction and infrastructure use. AISC/NSBA members cannot practically bring their own trade cases against foreign competitors, but must rely on the U.S. government taking action and enforcing our trade laws.
The AISC/NSBA letter called upon the Trade Representative to:
- Vigorously investigate violations of U.S. trade laws;
- Promptly enforce and collect countervailing duties from importers; and
- Identify China as not a market economy and not deserving of full recognition under World Trade Organization (WTO) policies.
The letter to Trade Representative Froman joins with many other voices from the steel industry and workers to use the laws on the books to remedy Chinese steel export violations, AISC said.
AISC and NSBA represent more than 900 U.S. steel-producing and fabricating companies and more than 42,000 allied steep professional designers, engineers and educators.
More information: Roger E. Ferch, AISC president, at ferch@aisc.org; 312/670.5401.
