Government/Policy
January 5, 2021
Written by Lewis Leibowitz
“Life’s full of tough choices, innit?” Ursula, The Little Mermaid (1989)
That memorable cinematic line brings to mind the dilemmas of trade, diplomacy and national security. Economic interests sometime interfere with military and human rights considerations. Add the COVID pandemic into the mix, which has profoundly affected international commerce.
Members of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) met in Wisconsin last week and unveiled an updated plan to combat market-distorting excess capacity. The Milwaukee Framework adds color to the 2017 “Berlin Principles.” It is also a positive step in the ongoing battle against global steel market distortions. However, the Framework is only a guidepost. It must be implemented correctly to make an impact as new problems loom.
The Department of Commerce thinks revoking the anti-dumping duty (AD) orders on cut-to-length carbon steel plate from China and Russia would lead to the recurrence of dumping at significant margins.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has threatened legal action against Cleveland-Cliffs over the layoffs announced earlier this week at its Stelco mill in Hamilton, Ontario.
Steel trade groups applauded the US Trade Representative’s (USTR's) unveiling of "The Milwaukee Framework" to fight global excess steel capacity.
The Commerce Department has made its preliminary findings in the anti-dumping portion of the trade case investigating large-diameter graphite electrodes (LDGE) from China and India. The agency found that LDGEs from both countries are being, or are likely to be, sold in the US at less-than-fair-value.