USW Praises WTO Ruling on China

Obama Administration shows it will not permit China to threaten American jobs by using antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings to harm U.S. exports

PITTSBURGH, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today lauded the Obama administration's resolve as it praised a ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in a case the United States filed protesting China's imposition of duties on imports of American-made grain oriented flat-rolled electrical steel (GOES).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080131/DC12982LOGO)

The administration petitioned the WTO in September 2010, asking the trade organization to resolve the imposition of Chinese anti-dumping and countervailing duties on U.S.-made GOES, a product that is widely used in the electrical generation and production industries.

"By unfairly restricting imports of American steel, China has for too long attempted to tilt the playing field for the global steel trade in their direction," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard . "In filing this case, the Obama administration showed that it will stand strong for American workers, and by ruling in our favor, the WTO has taken an important step toward leveling the playing field for our workers who make products for export."

Several American facilities, including AK Steel plants in Butler, Pa., and Zanesville, Ohio, and Allegheny Technologies sties in Brackenridge and Bagdad, Pa., are leaders in the production of GOES.

"When we play by the same rules, American steelmakers and steelworkers can compete with the best in the world," said USW International Vice President Tom Conway . "This ruling is a victory for American companies and American workers."

The USW represents about 850,000 working men and women in the United States and Canada in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glass making to mining, paper, steel, tire and rubber and other manufacturing environments, to the public sector, service and health care industries.

CONTACT:
R.J. Hufnagel , 412-562-2450
rhufnagel@usw.org

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

RELATED LINKS
http://www.usw.org