The United States Steel Industry Essay Research free essay sample

The United States Steel Industry Essay, Research Paper The United States Steel Industry After old ages of restructuring, an investing of about $ 50 billion in new works and equipment, the application of first fabrication engineerings and increased labour productiveness, the United States steel industry is among the most competitory in the universe. With the application of advanced engineering, mechanization has replaced the more labour intensive patterns of the past, doing the industry energy efficient and environmentally responsible. Despite the increased steel production within the United States, foreign imports of steel to the United States hit record degrees in the past two old ages. In 1998, the United States had the highest steel import of all time. The United States imported 41.5 million dozenss of steel merchandises, up 30 three per centum from the old record of 31 million dozenss imported in 1997. The combined consequence of legion steel industrial policies is that the universe has enormous extra production capacity in steel. Dumping, which is gross revenues in export markets below cost or gross revenues below the monetary value in the place market, is the frequent consequence. In response to the recent addition of steel imports, a group of major U.S. steel manufacturers filed a request with the U.S. International Trade Commission ( ITC ) and the Department of Commerce avering that the steel imports from Brazil, Japan and Russia are sold in the United States at less than just value. Under the Tariff Act of 1930, U.S. industries may petition the authorities for alleviation from imports that are sold in the United States at less than just value or which benefit from subsidies provided through foreign authorities plans. Under the jurisprudence, the Department of Commerce determines whether the dumping or subsidising exists, and if so, the border of dumping or the sum of the subsidy. The ITC determines whether the dumped or subsidised imports materially injure or threaten to materially wound the U.S. industry. After preliminary probes in November 1998, the ITC determined that the domestic industry was threatened by steel imports from Brazil, Japan, Russia and South Korea. It was found that there was a important addition in the volume and market incursion of steel imports from 1995 to 1998. Steel imports from these states entered the U.S. market in 1998 at monetary values that depressed or suppressed domestic monetary values to a important grade. In February 1999, the U.S. Commerce Department determined that Nipponese and Brazilian steelworkers sold certain steel merchandises to the U.S. for every bit much as 60 per centum below just grade et value. It was besides found that Japan and Russia have excess capacity which permits them to increase steel exports to the United States. The state of affairs is complicated by the serious economic jobs confronting Russia, which remains universe # 8217 ; s figure one steel-exporting state, despite the fact that it is besides one of the universe # 8217 ; s least efficient steel manufacturers. The prostration of the Soviet Union created a immense surplus production capacity in Russia. The Asiatic steel demand has collapsed as a consequence of economic crisis in that part of the universe. Steel that was antecedently exported to Asia from Russia and elsewhere in being diverted to the United States and other markets. In add-on to this, subsidies continue to falsify the universe steel trade. Subsidies are given to steel manufacturers in many states around the universe. For illustration, the Korean authorities has provided over $ 6 billion to the now belly-up Hanbo Steel Company. In contrast, the United States steel industry has by and large non been the receiver of such particular intervention. The U.S. economic system is unfastened and subsidies have been really limited, particularly when compared to those of other major industrial states. Excess universe capacity, restricted foreign markets, and dumping are major jobs in the universe steel trade. Foreign authoritiess are still supplying subsidies to their steel manufacturers. The U.S. steel industry is confronting unjust trade patterns. The dumping is doing serious hurt to the U.S. steel manufacturers and their 165,000 employees. The intent of the U.S. antidumping Torahs is to guarantee that foreign maker compete reasonably. The United States authoritiess needs to implement dumping Torahs, which counter dumping with countervailing responsibilities, and offseting responsibility Torahs, which counter unjust subsidies. The U.S. authorities must negociate forcefully with other authoritiess refering unjust trade. The U.S. authorities demands to open foreign markets to steel and steel-containing merchandises and extinguish foreign steel subsidies. The U.S. authorities demands to guarantee that efficient, competitory U.S. steel capacity will non be driven out of concern due to extra universe steel production. By enforcing responsibilities on the imports that are most to a great extent subsidized or dumped, the U.S. steel industry will be able to vie reasonably. An alternate attack that may be used is to restrict steel imports through a Voluntary Restraint Agreement which may besides continue the U.S. steel industry. However, this attack may non be attractive for the industry because the authorities, non markets, determine the market portions and quota rents would travel to the foreign authoritiess or companies.