Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor:
 
I would like to add to Peter Brebach’s comments regarding the recently filed dumping suits against nine countries and up front can agree that the majority of the nine countries will be found guilty of dumping [oil country tubular goods].

Since 1969 the domestic steel industry has filed more dumping complaints with the DOC and ITC than any other industry, in fact at times about 50% of all dumping investigations involved steel and steel products. In the last 20 years dumping complaints have been filed against 58 countries. Over the years a large number of countries have been accused of selling “highly subsidized and unfairly priced” steel products in the US yet their semi finished products such as slabs are now accounting for almost 25% of all steel imports. Hypocrisy ? You be the judge.
 
With the recently announced price increases the US has the highest steel prices of any industrialized country in the world. The price difference is often over $ 200 per ton. It may be good for the steel companies but is it good for the manufacturers of products made mainly from steel such as water heaters, propane gas bottles, HVAC parts and of course pipe and tubing ? Go to your local Home Depot and check it out.
 
While there is absolutely no question that dumping exists and many dumping complaints are justified the filing of massive dumping complaints cannot be the solution to making the US steel industry a viable one. The US steel industry should focus on competing with other steel suppliers in the world, it would stabilize the domestic market and allow US mills to sell steel word wide which right now they don’t.