Visclosky Testifies for Local Steel Jobs at International Trade Commission

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky has announced he will testify on Thursday, April 27th before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in support of existing fair-trade policies that will keep local steel jobs in Gary, East Chicago and Portage from being shipped overseas.

At the hearing, the ITC will conduct a five-year review of an antidumping order on tin- and chromium-coated steel sheet (tin mill) from Japan, which puts American steel producers on a level playing field.  Three of the seven Tin Mill facilities in the United States are located in Northwest Indiana, at US Steel operations in Gary, East Chicago, and Portage.

“If these fair-trading policies are revoked, more good-paying American jobs will be shipped overseas, and the steel industry in Northwest Indiana will be forced to compete against those who illegally dump steel,” said Visclosky, who is the Vice-Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus. “To keep the playing field level, the ITC must uphold the existing policies.”

The program was implemented in 2000, after the ITC found that Japanese tin mill imports surged by over 80 percent from 1997 to 1999, causing American steel manufacturers to lose $132.5 million in 1999 alone.  Based on this information, the ITC determined that illegally dumped Japanese imports had caused material injury. Since the ITC’s anti-dumping order was put into effect, Japanese Tin Mill imports have gone from 329,000 tons in 1999 to virtually no imports today.

Jim Robinson, District 7 Director for the United Steel Workers echoes Congressman Visclosky’s call for the ITC to uphold its existing policies. “The steel industry in Northwest Indiana has been stronger in the last few years because fair trading policies have kept unfairly dumped steel from entering the marketplace,” said Robinson. “To strengthen the American steel industry, and keep our local steelworkers employed, the U.S. International Trade Commission must maintain these existing policies.”

In his prepared remarks, Congressman Visclosky will testify that it is necessary to uphold and enforce the trade laws that keep illegally dumped steel from entering the United States.

“The weakening of our trade laws has been an attack on the American middle-class.  Jobs have been shipped overseas, American manufacturing facilities have been shuttered, hard working men and women have lost their jobs and their pensions. We can’t have a viable economy if we’re all making fries and flipping hamburgers.

“The U.S. tin mill industry is a competitive, high-end industry.  It produces products that are indispensable to this country.  It is a key component of our manufacturing backbone, which is an essential base to the U.S. economy.  I am confident that by ensuring a level playing field, the Commission will set the stage for this industry to flourish, not just survive.            

"I urge you to keep this relief in place, and I thank you on behalf of workers not only in Indiana’s First Congressional District, but across the country.”