[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 2, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H275-H276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             ILLEGAL DUMPING OF STEEL, A CRISIS IN AMERICA

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction 
of legislation along with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Quinn), the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) 
and 96 other of my colleagues.
  The 100 of us join together today to try to provide a solution to the 
crisis we face in the United States of America today involving the 
domestic steel industry. We want to help those Americans who want to 
work in a steel mill in the United States of America, and I say want to 
because using the administration's figures it is clear that over the 
last 12 months, 8,775 steel workers have already lost their job because 
of this crisis. That translates into 24 steel workers, 24 American 
families today will lose a breadwinner in everything that connotes.
  What is the cause of this crisis? Illegal dumping. Countries selling 
steel in the United States, or I should almost suggest giving it away 
in the United States of America, at below their costs of production, at 
below what they sell it in their home market.
  This crisis began after July of 1997, and it is of astronomical 
proportions. Using trade figures from November of this past year, 
imports have increased over that approximately 18-month period of time 
by 48 percent. Imports in November of 1998, compared to pre-crisis 
level in July 1997, from Japan, increased by 303 percent; 303 percent 
as shown on the first chart.
  Steel exports from Russia increased from July 1997 to November 1998 
by 151 percent, 151 percent. Steel exports to the United States 
increased from Korea from July 1997 to November 1998 by 111 percent. 
Exports of steel to the United States from the Ukraine increased from 
July 1997 to November 1998 by 196 percent.
  The result at Timken Company is that 160 workers were laid off in 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Forty-seven workers were laid off at three 
Ohio steel manufacturing facilities. Forty union workers were laid off 
at Timken Latrobe Steel in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Four hundred people 
were released from the former Inland Steel Company in Indiana. At 
Geneva Steel Company in Vineyard, Utah, there is an 18 percent cutback. 
USX laid off 200 workers in Fairfield, Alabama, and 100 workers at the 
Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh. Slater Steel Corporation has slashed 
51 positions. It has altogether reduced the salaried workforce by 22\1/
2\ percent. Acme Metals in Riverdale, Illinois, has filed for Chapter 
XI bankruptcy.
  There is Gulf States Steel Corporation in Gadsden, Alabama, where 100 
steel workers have been laid off. Northwestern Steel and Wire 
Corporation in Sterling Falls, Illinois, 300 of 400 workers are out of 
work today. Weirton Steel Corporation, Weirton, West Virginia, more 
than 900 steel workers have lost their job.
  No action was taken by last fall, and the Congressional Steel Caucus 
introduced a resolution. Language ultimately was sent to the 
administration begging, imploring and demanding that the President of 
the United States act. The President reported back to Congress with his 
action plan in January of this past year, and among other things the 
President indicated that the Japanese government has indicated, the 
President's word to us, that Japanese steel imports would return close 
to 1997 levels, close to 1997 levels, in 1999. A representative of the 
Japanese government later indicated that that potentially was not true.
  The administration will come before us today and indicate that the 
Japanese have begun to correct their problem with the United States, 
and my colleagues can see by the second chart that, yes, indeed, 
exports from Japan have declined. Today they are 94 percent higher than 
they were at pre crisis levels, and I will bet steel workers in Japan 
have not lost their job.
  But that contrasts to the USS/Fairless Works where Mike Dobrowolsky 
and Kenneth Houser were laid off the day before Thanksgiving. They are 
both in their mid forties, they are married, they each have two 
children. Both have worked for more than 20 years at Fairless; they are 
not working today. At Geneva Steel Corporation in Utah, Eric Shepherd 
is married with

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three children and was among those laid off in September.
  We need to act.

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