WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. International Trade Commission voted on Thursday to revoke anti-dumping duties on cold-rolled steel imports from Canada, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and South Korea, while keeping duties on other steel products in force.
The commission's decision to end anti-dumping duties on cold-rolled steel products -- as part of a five-year review of duties affecting imports from 17 countries -- prompted Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, to announce a Dec. 12 congressional hearing into the matter.
"While I am pleased that the International Trade Commission saw fit to continue these anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on corrosion-resistant steel products and cut-to-length carbon steel plate, I am deeply concerned that the commission neglected to continue orders on cold-rolled steel," he said in a statement.
He said the decision followed a finding by the Department of Commerce that revocation of the duties would lead to "the recurrence of dumping or illegal subsidies," said Specter, who represents one of the biggest steel-producing states and heads the Senate Steel Caucus.
He pledged to investigate "the hemorrhaging which continues within the U.S. steel industry, and introduce new legislation which will provide quick and effective relief to steelworkers and manufacturers from unfair imports."
The commission left in place existing anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders and findings on imports of carbon steel plate products from Taiwan, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Britain.
But it lifted anti-dumping duties imposed on the carbon steel plate products from Canada.
Bethlehem Steel Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Duane Dunham said he was "extremely disappointed" with the decision on steel plate from Canada and cold-rolled sheet steel from the other countries.
"All of the affected products -- plate, coated steel and cold-rolled steel -- continue to enter our country at rates equal to the devastating impact on the industry caused by the high level of imports during the Asian crisis in 1998," Dunham said in a statement.
The commission decided to lift existing anti-dumping duties on cold-rolled carbon steel flat products from Germany, South Korea, and the Netherlands, and to lift existing countervailing duties on imports from Germany, South Korea and Sweden.
It also decided to maintain existing anti-dumping duties on imports of corrosion-resistant steel flat products from Australia, France, Canada, Germany, Japan and South Korea, and existing countervailing duties on products from France, Germany and South Korea.
Specter said the Dec. 12 hearing would be held by the Congressional Steel Caucus in Pittsburgh.:
