The International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to impose an antidumping duty order on Mexican rebar imports and a countervailing duty on Turkish rebar imports to hold them accountable for unfair trading practices that are damaging the American rebar industry
In September, Klobuchar testified before the ITC to press for a crackdown on Mexican and Turkish companies that are dumping steel in the U.S; Franken also submitted testimony to the ITC to level the playing field for American producers, workers by acting against dumped and subsidized foreign imports of rebar
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After a major push from U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to impose penalties on Mexican and Turkish companies dumping steel into the U.S. The ITC has voted to impose an antidumping duty order on Mexican rebar imports and a countervailing duty on Turkish rebar imports to hold them accountable for unfair trading practices that are damaging the American rebar industry. In September, Klobuchar testified before the ITC to press for a crackdown on Mexican and Turkish companies that are dumping steel in the U.S. Franken also submitted testimony to the ITC to level the playing field for American producers and workers by acting against dumped and subsidized foreign imports of rebar. The senators also sent a letter with 23 of their colleagues calling on the ITC to prevent these foreign subsidies and dumping from further weakening the rebar industry.
“These new penalties are a major victory for the hardworking steelworkers in Minnesota and across the country,” Klobuchar said. “When foreign producers dump their rebar here, it displaces the rebar produced by the mills in our country and hurts the American workers who make our steel. Today’s action will help crack down on illegal trade practices, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure our businesses are competing on a level playing field that protects American companies, workers and their families.”
“I'm very pleased that the ITC has recognized the damage being done to our domestic industry by imported rebar from Mexico and Turkey, and will be taking action to protect Minnesota producers and workers against those unfair imports,” Franken said. “Minnesota companies and workers in the iron ore and steel industry can compete against anyone on a level playing field. But we've got to make sure the playing field is level, and that means strictly enforcing our trade laws against dumped and subsidized imported steel. The ITC took an important step today, and I'll keep working to make sure our domestic iron ore and steel industry does not face unfair competition from foreign imports.”
After a major push from Klobuchar this summer, the ITC voted in August to impose penalties on Korean companies dumping steel products into the U.S. In July, Klobuchar testified before the ITC to urge the agency to impose penalties on Korean firms to offset any gains they have achieved through illegal practices. The ITC’s ruling will impose antidumping duties on steel Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) from South Korea, as well as India, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
Sen. Franken has long fought to ensure fair trade practices and protect Minnesota workers and businesses. Earlier this year, he successfully pressed key trade agencies, including the ITC, to act to limit the damage being done to the American steel and iron ore industry by unfairly priced South Korean steel. In May, he joined a number of colleagues in writing to the Secretary of Commerce expressing concerns about the Department's preliminary determination that Korea was not dumping steel in the U.S. and urging Commerce to take action against unfair dumping to the fullest extent of the law. He followed up by communicating the concerns of Minnesota's iron ore industry about the Korean imports directly to the Department of Commerce in the days leading up to the Department's final determination that the Korean imports had been illegally dumped. And in July, he submitted testimony to the ITC outlining how unfairly priced Korean steel has hurt Minnesota's iron ore producers.
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