The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-06-25
DANGER Seen In
COMPETITION OF.
STEEL IMPORTS.
w. A. Irwin, President of u. S.
Steel Corp, Lists Status of
Steel Importations.

President w. A. Irwin of the United
States Steel Corporation, in his annual
address to the American Iron and Steel
Institute on the occasion of the forty
fifth general meeting of that body at
New York, took occasion to call the at
tention to the large imports of
European steel into the country. He
said:
My address at last years meeting of
the Institute reviewed the Steel In
duStry for the year 1884. A factor dur
ing that period was the importations of
cheap European steel into this market
along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific
Coast seaboards at prices with which
We were unable to compete.
This tonnage has been constantly in
! creasing, the first three months of 1896
being double the quantity imported for
the same quarter of 1885.
The rate of ingot capacity during
January, February and March, 1885, was
1870 of capacity, while today We are
happier over the improvement in our
business, which operated at 55Go during
the first quarter of this year and is
now $50. These improved conditions
indicate that we are emerging from an
era of almost seven years of depression.
In order to continue this improve
ment our industries should be relieved
from the uncertainties of Objectionable
pending legislation and assisted by
governmental cooperation in the elm
nation of those problems which in any
way are likely to hamper the return
of that prosperity which all the people
of our nation so ardently desire.
The subject assigned to me IS one
which has caused much concern to
many of you-"Competition from I'm
ports of Foreign Steel Products" In
any intelligent study or discussion of
this subject, one should first take what
might be called a bird's-eye view of the
situation which confronts us with re-
spect to relative capacities to produce
and with respect to the relative extent
of the natural markets for which these
capacities were installed and which they
normally would serve.
! On one side is the steel capacity of
the United States and our natural mar
ket, the very important and extensive
steel market lying within the United
States. On the other side is aligned
the steel capacity of the rest of the
world together with the markets be-
yond our boundaries. Under existing
conditions, do the facts show that we
are poaching on the other fellows terri
tory or is the other fellow poaching on
ours. The following statistics are il
Illuminating on this particular point.
Our raw steel capacity is roughly
100000 tons annually;
Raw Steel capacity outside the United
States is roughly 73,50O,OO0 tons an
nually;
Thus we have about 1870 of the total
capacity of the world and all other
countries have 81 %.
Now turn to the relative available OF
normal markets, and in doing so let us
bear in mind that We are DISCUSSING
present conditions, and the figures fol-
the year 1895 may be assumed to repre-
sent conditions fairly accurately In
1885 our markets consumed steel pro.
ducts originating from about $4,000 COX
tons of raw steel, and similarly outside
markets consumed about 1000 900 tons
Thus our home market consumed about
$3.50 of the worlds output and the
markets outside of the United State!