Bush Decides to Lift Steep Steel Tariffs

[papau]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20031204/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_steel

Bush Decides to Lift Steep Steel Tariffs

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON - Facing the threat of a trade war, President Bush has decided to lift steep tariffs he imposed on foreign steel 20 months ago, Republican and industry officials said Thursday.

But he will soften the blow on the domestic steel industry by announcing new measures designed to protect against unfair foreign competition, the officials said Thursday.... Among the proposals being considered by the administration was making permanent early reporting requirements to detect any big influx of steel into the United States.


The reporting program requires steel importers to apply for import licenses, giving the government a quicker way to detect possible import surges than waiting for Customs Service data when the steel arrives at U.S. ports.


The administration also was expected to pledge an aggressive use of U.S. antidumping laws to impose tariffs on specific steel products should imports surge once the tariffs are lifted.


The administration package also was expected to include pledges to continue pursuing global negotiations aimed at getting other countries to limit government subsidies for their domestic steel producers and to curb overcapacity in the steel industry.


Those talks, under way since 2002, so far have yielded little, and many trade experts don't hold out much hope that other countries will agree to U.S. demands in this area, given the political power their own steel industries wield. <snip>


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=578&e=5&u=/nm/20031204/bs_nm/trade_usa_steel_dc

Bush Expected to Lift Steel Tariffs

By Adam Entous and Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush plans to scrap steel tariffs on Thursday -- 16 months ahead of schedule under threat of retaliation from Europe and Asia -- is a move that could prove politically damaging. To cushion the blow to U.S. steel makers, Bush is expected to expand an import licensing and monitoring system to help head off surges in shipments of foreign steel into the United States. The White House could also provide federal help covering pension and health care costs. <snip>

Steel industry sources said Bush could still suspend the tariffs, not terminate them, and then try to find another way to comply with the WTO. <snip>

[bif]

1. He just lost PA!

49 states to go.Let's see if he can piss of every other state as well.

[begeegs]

3. Well...

He has already pissed off the world a few times over now, why stop there?

[zbdent]

2. Is this how it will go?

Fought Kucinich on the idea of steel tariffs.

After calling DK "KOOK-in-ich" (a Rush-inspired namecalling, which would try to indicate that he didn't know how to pronounce the name, except that he actually had to be familiar with DK due to the legislation), signs the legislation.

W takes credit for "helping" the steel industry. No credit at all to Kucinich.

Now that the "tariffs" are "not working" or "hurting the industry", and are being removed, will W recognize DK's attempt to save the industry by blaming the "business unfriendly" tariffs on him?

(and somebody here said I hated Kucinich. I've defended him to quite a number of lifetime Ohio natives!)

[lotteandollie]

4. It Was A Bad Idea To Begin With

We are supposed to set the example of free and fair trade. This was a lousey tariff. I'm just sorry that they had to threaten the US for us to back away.