[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H2557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  STEEL IMPORTS ONCE AGAIN ON THE RISE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Radanovich). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Berry) is recognized during morning hour debates for 3 minutes.
  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the steelworkers in 
Northeast Arkansas and all over this country are frustrated, and they 
are the most productive steelworkers in the world. They have lost faith 
in their government's promise to uphold its basic trade laws.
  The steel import figures for March show that imports are once again 
on the rise. Imports for March are 25 percent higher than the imports 
in February. Imports from Japan rose 36 percent; from Brazil, 54 
percent; from Korea, 11 percent; from Indonesia, 339 percent. Compared 
to July of 1997, before the crisis began, Japan's imports are up 22 
percent; Brazil's are up 25 percent; Korea, 77 percent; Indonesia, 889 
percent.
  Clearly, the steel crisis is not over.
  Although they continue to assure us that they are negotiating and 
consulting with these nations, we continue to see higher rates of steel 
entering this Nation.
  The President warned Japan Monday to reduce its steel shipments to 
the United States on a consistent basis or the government will act to 
block them. The President also said during a news conference that the 
U.S. would act to keep Japanese steel out of U.S. markets if those 
imports continued to exceed the levels existing before the Asian 
economic crisis.
  How long does this crisis have to go on? Something must be done. We 
must take action now.
  Arkansas steelworkers have lost faith in their government because we 
have failed them by failing to enforce our own trade laws.
  The administration continues to sit on this problem without offering 
a substantive and timely remedy. Steelworkers need solid, immediate 
plans to end the flow of underpriced steel that is flooding our market. 
We cannot simply solve the world's financial crisis on the backs of the 
steelworkers of the United States. The time for action is now, as I 
have already said, strong and decisive action. For the sake of American 
steelworkers and their families, we must end this import crisis.

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