PRINTER'S NO. 1636
No. 168 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY HARHAI, TRICH, DALEY, WANSACZ, MARKOSEK, BEBKO-
JONES, MELIO, WRIGHT, WALKO, LEDERER, TRAVAGLIO, FICHTER,
BUNT, GEORGE, LAUGHLIN, SHANER, SANTONI, CALTAGIRONE, MANN,
CAPPELLI, BENNINGHOFF, WILT, HERSHEY, ARMSTRONG, TIGUE,
McCALL, CAPPABIANCA, RUBLEY, WOJNAROSKI, SAINATO, READSHAW,
JOSEPHS, HESS, HENNESSEY, BELFANTI, WATSON, FRANKEL,
LEVDANSKY, MUNDY, STABACK, SOLOBAY, COSTA, SURRA, COLAFELLA,
STAIRS, ROONEY, YOUNGBLOOD, JAMES, SCRIMENTI, RAYMOND,
BROWNE, DeWEESE, PISTELLA, PETRARCA, DeLUCA, HUTCHINSON,
SAYLOR, SATHER, KIRKLAND, GRUCELA, KAISER, FREEMAN AND
CLYMER, APRIL 24, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
APRIL 24, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Calling on the President of the United States and the Federal
2 Government to take all necessary and appropriate action to
3 respond to the continuing surge of steel imports, including
4 specialty steel imports, resulting from financial crises in
5 Asia, Russia and other foreign nations.
6 WHEREAS, Metal manufacturing is integral to the economy of
7 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, employing over 72,900 workers
8 in the primary metal industry and 86,200 workers in the
9 fabricated metal products industry; and
10 WHEREAS, The American steel industry holds an important place
11 in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for its
12 contribution to business and industry; and
13 WHEREAS, The American steel industry plays a vital role in
14 our national security, which depends on a strong domestic steel
1 economy, and in our national defense, which relies on a strong
2 steel manufacturing base, and is of paramount concern for
3 America and our allies; and
4 WHEREAS, The specialty steel industry, which includes
5 stainless steel, tool steel and other alloyed metal steel, holds
6 an important position in the economic and industrial history of
7 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States and has
8 made significant improvements to restructure, modernize and
9 become a world leader in productivity and competitiveness; and
10 WHEREAS, The current economic and financial crises in Russia,
11 Asia and other foreign nations have involved severe devaluation
12 of the currencies of several primary steel-producing and steel-
13 consuming countries along with a collapse in the domestic demand
14 for steel and specialty steel in these countries; and
15 WHEREAS, The crises have generated and will continue to
16 generate surges of steel imports into the United States,
17 flooding the American market with foreign steel and foreign
18 steel products at prices severely below production cost, thereby
19 disadvantaging the American steel industry and its workers and
20 families in the marketplace while the United States, through the
21 International Monetary Fund, continues to participate in a
22 massive financial bailout of these countries in a manner that
23 encourages exports; and
24 WHEREAS, Imports of specialty steel from foreign producers
25 are being dumped into this country in large quantities at
26 unfair, below-market prices, contributing significantly to
27 reduced earnings and reductions in employment for American
28 workers; and
29 WHEREAS, The dumping of stainless steel plate in coils and
30 other specialty steel products is prevalent in the United States
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1 market, causing an adverse impact on domestic steel production
2 and the thousands of jobs in this Commonwealth and the United
3 States associated with the regular and specialty steel industry;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, Recent reports confirm that this country is headed
6 for a downturn in the economy, thereby requiring prompt Federal
7 action and initiatives; and
8 WHEREAS, Recent reports confirm that 14 steel companies have
9 filed for bankruptcy protection, and the impact of this problem
10 goes well beyond one industry; and
11 WHEREAS, Statistics over the last three years have proven
12 that the dumping of foreign steel into the American marketplace
13 has had a devastating economic effect on American jobs; and
14 WHEREAS, There is a serious need for improvements in the
15 enforcement of United States trade laws to provide an effective
16 response to this situation; therefore be it
17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
18 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania call on the President of the United
19 States and the Federal Government to take all necessary action
20 to:
21 (1) pursue enhanced enforcement of United States trade
22 laws with respect to the surge of steel imports into the
23 United States, using all remedies available under those laws,
24 including duties relating to stainless steel plate in coils;
25 (2) continue to impose antidumping duties on imports of
26 specialty steel from these foreign nations;
27 (3) work to establish a more equitable distribution of
28 the burden of accepting imports of specialty steel from
29 foreign nations;
30 (4) establish the appropriate forum or mechanism for
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1 executive branch interagency cooperation to closely monitor
2 imports of steel, including specialty and stainless steel
3 plate in coils; and
4 (5) report to the Congress of the United States as soon
5 as possible a comprehensive, workable plan for addressing the
6 surge in all steel imports, including the negative effects on
7 employment, prices and investments in the American specialty
8 and regular steel industry;
9 and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
11 the President of the United States, the Vice President of the
12 United States, the United States Trade Representative and to
13 each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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