Youngstown Vindicator: Steelmakers cry foul on Chinese policies

[Kolesar]

Steelmakers cry foul on Chinese policies

excerpt:

Roger Schagrin, a lawyer who has represented steel producers in trade cases, said the nation is risking more mill closings by not taking action against the Chinese. The closings could be a repeat of the late 1990s when steel imports forced numerous domestic steel producers and fabricators to close or file for bankruptcy protection, he said.

Daniel DiMicco, chief executive of Nucor Corp., said steel producers today are efficient and can compete — if other countries are playing by the rules. The industry officials hope the report will spur U.S. officials to take action through the World Trade Organization to stop Chinese subsidies of steel and other industries. "Since 2000, we have lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs in the United States, directly related to these subsidies and directly related to China," DiMicco said.

Complaints about Chinese

The report says that most of the steel produced in China comes from companies controlled by the Chinese government. Chinese national steel policy provides steel companies with tax reductions, cash grants, land grants, raw materials at reduced costs and preferential loans, the report said. Also, the government has forgiven debt of steel companies or traded it for ownership interests in companies, it said. Much of these activities are in violation of standards that China agreed to when it joined the WTO, officials said.

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/304165940570536.php

[Tempest]

1. Quit bitching and file a grievance with the WTO

Maybe the U.S. will finally win a WTO grievance.

[HawkerHurricane]

2. Wouldn't work.

China is not a member of the WTO, nor is it bound by the treaty.

China has it both ways, free trade out and trade barriers in.

[Tempest]

3. China has been a member of the WTO since December 11, 2001

Thanks to Bush's lobbying on their behalf, China became a member in 2001.

http://www.wto.org/English/thewto_e/countries_e/china_e.htm

[HawkerHurricane]

4. Ok, they're a member... and have no intention in following the rules.

http://www.citizen.org/trade/issues/china/ag/articles.cfm?ID=1514

"2. Recent on-the-record statements by the Chinese government have already started unraveling the terms and the meaning of the US-China WTO bilateral.
The most infamous statements to the press are by China’s chief negotiators that the US-China WTO bilateral’s terms are not binding "concessions" but "expressions" and "theories" and that the wheat TRQ only sets the cap on what could come in, but is not an agreement to import that quantity of wheat, etc. (See attached letter from Sen Dorgan to the Chinese negotiator on the series of take-back comments regarding agriculture made in recent weeks by the Chinese government.)"

[Tempest]

5. So now we're back to my original post in this thread

Stop bitching and file a grievance.