VeriSexy

American pipe workers and
seven producers of standard pipe will be joined by members of Congress, steel
suppliers and customers to stop an unfair surge of China pipe imports at a
public hearing that starts at 9:30 AM (ET) this Friday (Sept. 16) before the
International Trade Commission (ITC) at 500 E Street, SW.
The 30 pipe workers who will be at the ITC hearing are members of the
United Steelworkers (USW) from operating plants in Ohio and Illinois, plus a
bus coming from Wheatland Tube Co. and Sharon Tube Co. in Western
Pennsylvania.
According to the petition filed under a special provision of trade law,
China imports of standard pipe have surged from 9,000 tons in 2002 to 266,000
tons in 2004 and nearly 200,000 tons in the first half of this year. China
pipe prices are less than the cost of raw materials. The impact on U.S. pipe
makers has caused shipment levels to plummet, layoffs and wage reductions for
domestic pipe workers.
Standard pipe is used to convey water, steam and gases in plumbing, air
conditioning and heating, building fire sprinklers, sign posts, fence, auto
and other applications.
Scheduled to testify at the start of the hearing are: U.S. Sens. Arlen
Specter (R-PA), Mark Pryor (D-AR), and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR); U.S. Reps. Phil
English (R-PA), Melissa Hart (R-PA), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Bob Ney (R-OH), Marion
Berry (D-AR), Vic Snyder (D-AR), and other congressional members.
Also testifying are Peter Dooner, president, Wheatland Tube Co., Sharon,
PA.; Bill Perrine, president, Sharon Tube in Sharon, PA.; Will Boggs, vice
president, Allied Tube & Conduit Corp., Harvey, IL.; Tom Conway, USW
international vice president, Pittsburgh, PA.; Pat Tatom, president, WCI Steel
Corp., Warren, OH; and Harry Page, Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Co., Wheeling,
WV. State legislators participating from Pennsylvania and Arkansas are:
Michael P.Guritza (D-PA-7) and Marvin Childers (R-AR-77).
U.S. producers who filed the trade case are: Allied Tube & Counduit Corp.,
IPSCO Tubulars, Inc., Maruichi American Corp., Maverick Tube Corp., Sharon
Tube Co., Western Tube & Conduit Corp., Wheatland Tube Co. and the USW. The
companies employ 2,500 workers in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois,
Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
The trade case was filed under Section 421, passed by Congress in 2000
when China was granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations by the U.S. to protect
domestic industries from China import surges. The trade deficit between the
U.S. and China has grown to $160 billion since the WTO accession. Despite
unanimous findings by the ITC in three previous Section 421 cases that China
imports caused material injury to the domestic industries involved, President
Bush has consistently denied any relief available to the workers and their
industries.
In the 2003 case of an ITC ruling for a USW represented ductile iron
waterworks fitting company, over 300 workers subsequently lost their jobs. The
producer is now building a plant in China.
An affirmative decision by the ITC in late September would advance the
petition to President Bush for a final determination granting relief to stem
the flood of pipe imports. Roger B.Schagrin of Schagrin Associates in
Washington is the trade counsel handling the petition. For more information


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