United Steel Workers Hail Trade Penalties Against China

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/12689

Submitted by Doug Cunningham on January 4, 2010 - 4:10pm
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By Doug Cunningham

United Steel Workers President Leo Gerard is hailing trade duties being applied this month against China for violating trade rules. The penalties on Chinese steel pipe range from 10.5 to 16 percent. The union says the future of 6,000 U.S. workers employed by eight pipe producers is at stake. Gerard says the USW is fed up with what he called China’s constant cheating and false claims of U.S. protectionism when it is China that practices illegal state subsidization. A second charge against China’s steel pipe exports involving dumping allegations will be decided in April. This pipe imports trade case is the largest in U.S. history. USW Vice-President Tom Conway says this case against China will impact jobs in the entire steel pipe supply chain. He says unfair and illegal trade practices has already cost thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs.