[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 598 Introduced in House (IH)]

  2d Session
H. RES. 598

 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

                            October 14, 1998

 Mr. Traficant (for himself, Mr. Roemer, Mr. Rangel, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. 
Horn, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Fox of Pennsylvania, 
   Mr. Regula, Mr. Deal of Georgia, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. 
Everett, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Ney, Mr. Mollohan, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Doyle, Mr. 
  Kanjorski, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Holden, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. 
   Bilirakis, Mr. Young of Florida, Mr. Collins, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. 
    Cooksey, Mr. Klink, Mr. Mascara, Mr. Visclosky, Mr. Parker, Mr. 
   Kucinich, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Dickey, Mr. Moakley, Ms. Jackson-Lee of 
     Texas, Mr. Lewis of California, Mr. Engel, and Mr. English of 
Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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 crises and from steel-producing countries that are no 
        longer able to export steel to the countries in economic crises;
Whereas United States imports of finished steel mill products from Asian steel-
        producing countries--the People's Republic of China, Japan, South 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, That--
            (1) in accordance with rule IX, clause 1, of the Rules of 
        the House of Representatives, it is the sense of the House of 
        Representatives that its integrity has been impugned by the 
        failure of the executive branch to expeditiously enforce title 
        VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 in response to the surge of steel 
        imports resulting from the financial crises in Asia, Russia, 
        and other regions; and
            (2) the House of Representatives calls upon the President--
                    (A) to immediately review, for the 10-day period 
                beginning on the date of the adoption of this 
                resolution, the entry into the customs territory of the 
                United States of all steel products that are the 
                product or manufacture of Australia, China, South 
                Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, India, Japan, Russia, South 
                Korea, or Brazil;
                    (B) if, after the 10-day period described in 
                subparagraph (A), the President finds that the 
                Governments of Australia, China, South Africa, Ukraine, 
                Indonesia, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, or Brazil 
                are not abiding by the spirit and letter of 
                international trade agreements with respect to imports 
                of steel products into the United States, to 
                immediately impose a 1-year ban on the imports of all 
                steel products that are the product or manufacture of 
                Australia, China, South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, 
                India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, or Brazil;
                    (C) to establish a task force within the executive 
                branch to closely monitor imports of steel products 
                into the United States from other countries to 
                determine whether or not international trade agreements 
                are being violated; and
                    (D) not later than January 5, 1999, to report to 
                Congress on any other actions the President has taken, 
                or intends to take, to ensure that all trading partners 
                of the United States abide by the spirit and letter of 
                international trade agreements with respect to imports 
                of steel products into the United States.
                                 <all>