IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 598

Calling on the President to take all necessary measures to respond to the

surge of steel imports resulting from the financial crises in Asia, Russia,

and other regions, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 14, 1998

Mr. TRAFICANT (for himself, Mr. ROEMER, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr.

HORN, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania, Mr. REGULA, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr.

CHAMBLISS, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. NEY, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr.

RAHALL, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr.

HOLDEN, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr.

COLLINS, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. COOKSEY, Mr. KLINK, Mr. MASCARA,

Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. PARKER, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. DICKEY,

Mr. MOAKLEY, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr.

ENGEL, and Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

RESOLUTION

Calling on the President to take all necessary measures to

respond to the surge of steel imports resulting from

the financial crises in Asia, Russia, and other regions,

and for other purposes.

Whereas the current financial crises in Asia, Russia, and

other regions have involved massive depreciation in the

currencies of several key steel-producing and steel-consuming countries, along with a collapse in the domestic

demand for steel in these countries;
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Whereas the crises have generated and will continue to generate surges in United States imports of steel, both from

the countries whose currencies have depreciated in the

crises and from steel-producing countries that are no

longer able to export steel to the countries in economic

crises;

Whereas United States imports of finished steel mill products

from Asian steel-producing countries—the People’s Republic of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia—have increased by 79

percent in the first 5 months of 1998 compared to the

same period in 1997;

Whereas year-to-date imports of steel from Russia now exceed the record import levels of 1997, and steel imports

from Russia and Ukraine now approach 2,500,000 net

tons;

Whereas foreign government trade restrictions and private restraints of trade distort international trade and investment patterns and result in burdens on United States

commerce, including absorption of a disproportionate

share of diverted steel trade;

Whereas the European Union, for example, despite also being

a major economy, in 1997 imported only one-tenth as

much finished steel products from Asian steel-producing

countries as the United States did and has restricted imports of steel from the Commonwealth of Independent

States, including Russia;

Whereas the United States is simultaneously facing a substantial increase in steel imports from countries within

the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Russia, caused in part by the closure of Asian markets;
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Whereas the United States, through the International Monetary Fund, generously participates in a bailout of the crisis countries on terms that do not deter and in fact encourage them to export their way out of the crisis; and

Whereas there is a well-recognized need for improvements in

the enforcement of United States trade laws to provide

an effective response to such situations: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved, That—

2 (1) in accordance with rule IX, clause 1, of the

3 Rules of the House of Representatives, it is the

4 sense of the House of Representatives that its integ5 rity has been impugned by the failure of the execu6 tive branch to expeditiously enforce title VII of the

7 Tariff Act of 1930 in response to the surge of steel

8 imports resulting from the financial crises in Asia,

9 Russia, and other regions; and

10 (2) the House of Representatives calls upon the

11 President—

12 (A) to immediately review, for the 10-day

13 period beginning on the date of the adoption of

14 this resolution, the entry into the customs terri15 tory of the United States of all steel products

16 that are the product or manufacture of Aus17 tralia, China, South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia,

18 India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, or Brazil;
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1 (B) if, after the 10-day period described in

2 subparagraph (A), the President finds that the

3 Governments of Australia, China, South Africa,

4 Ukraine, Indonesia, India, Japan, Russia,

5 South Korea, or Brazil are not abiding by the

6 spirit and letter of international trade agree7 ments with respect to imports of steel products

8 into the United States, to immediately impose

9 a 1-year ban on the imports of all steel prod10 ucts that are the product or manufacture of

11 Australia, China, South Africa, Ukraine, Indo12 nesia, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, or

13 Brazil;

14 (C) to establish a task force within the ex15 ecutive branch to closely monitor imports of

16 steel products into the United States from other

17 countries to determine whether or not inter18 national trade agreements are being violated;

19 and

20 (D) not later than January 5, 1999, to re21 port to Congress on any other actions the

22 President has taken, or intends to take, to en23 sure that all trading partners of the United

24 States abide by the spirit and letter of inter-
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1 national trade agreements with respect to im2 ports of steel products into the United States.

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