[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 328 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 328

 Calling on the President to take all necessary measures to respond to 
the surge of steel imports resulting from the financial crises in Asia, 
           Russia, and other regions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 1998

  Mr. Regula (for himself, Mr. Murtha, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Visclosky, Mr. 
English of Pennsylvania, Mr. Coyne, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Weller, Mr. Brown 
of Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Walsh, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Mollohan, 
 Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Traficant, Mr. 
      Aderholt, Mr. Snyder, Mr. Bachus, Mr. Ehrlich, Mr. Brady of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Holden, Mr. Leach, Mr. Levin, Mr. Pallone, 
   Ms. Stabenow, Mr. McHale, Mr. Costello, Mr. Ney, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. 
 Barcia, Mr. Brown of California, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Klink, Mr. Borski, 
 Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Callahan, Mr. Souder, Mr. Roemer, 
   Mr. Saxton, Mr. McDade, Mr. Parker, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Gekas, Mr. 
 Ballenger, Mr. Cannon, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Evans, Mr. Green, Mr. Peterson 
 of Pennsylvania, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Shuster, Mr. Fox of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
 Pastor, Mr. Goodling, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Berry, Mr. Ehlers, 
   Mr. Hobson, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. 
 Filner, Mr. Mascara, Mr. Sawyer, Mr. Upton, Mr. Vento, Mr. Whitfield, 
    Mr. Dingell, Mr. Wise, and Mr. Stokes) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
                                 Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Calling on the President to take all necessary measures to respond to 
the surge of steel imports resulting from the financial crises in Asia, 
           Russia, and other regions, and for other purposes.

Whereas the current financial crises in Asia, Russia, and other regions have 
        involved massive depreciation in the currencies of several key steel-
        producing and steel consuming countries, along with a collapse in the 
        domestic demand for steel in these countries;
Whereas the crises have generated and will continue to generate surges in United 
        States imports of steel, both from the countries whose currencies have 
        depreciated in the crisis and from steel producing countries that are no 
        longer able to export steel to the countries in economic crisis;
Whereas United States imports of finished steel mill products from Asian steel 
        producing countries--the People's Republic of China, Japan, Korea, 
        India, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia--have increased by 79 
        percent in the first 5 months of 1998 compared to the same period in 
        1997;
Whereas year-to-date imports of steel from Russia now exceed the record import 
        levels of 1997, and steel imports from Russia and Ukraine now approach 
        2,500,000 net tons;
Whereas foreign government trade restrictions and private restraints of trade 
        distort international trade and investment patterns and result in 
        burdens on United States commerce, including absorption of a 
        disproportionate share of diverted steel trade;
Whereas the European Union, for example, despite also being a major economy, in 
        1997 imported only one-tenth as much finished steel products from Asian 
        steel producing countries as the United States did and has restricted 
        imports of steel from the Commonwealth of Independent States, including 
        Russia;
Whereas the United States is simultaneously facing a substantial increase in 
        steel imports from countries within the Commonwealth of Independent 
        States, including Russia, caused in part by the closure of Asian 
        markets;
Whereas the United States, through the International Monetary Fund, generously 
        participates in a bailout of the crisis countries on terms that do not 
        deter and in fact encourage them to export their way out of the crisis; 
        and
Whereas there is a well-recognized need for improvements in the enforcement of 
        United States trade laws to provide an effective response to such 
        situations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress calls upon the President to--
            (1) pursue enhanced enforcement of United States trade laws 
        with respect to the surge of steel imports into the United 
        States, using all remedies available under those laws including 
        offsetting duties, quantitative restraints, and other 
        authorized remedial measures as appropriate;
            (2) pursue with all tools at his disposal a more equitable 
        sharing of the burden of accepting imports of finished steel 
        products from Asia and the countries within the Commonwealth of 
        Independent States;
            (3) establish a task force within the executive branch with 
        responsibility for closely monitoring United States imports of 
        steel; and
            (4) report to the Congress by no later than January 5, 
        1999, with a comprehensive plan for responding to this import 
        surge, including ways of limiting its deleterious effects on 
        employment, prices, and investment in the United States steel 
        industry.
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