PMA reacts harshly to recent ITC vote
The Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) has reacted strongly to the
US International Trade Commissions (ITC) decision to continue antidumping duties on
stainless steel sheet and strip products.
The ITC voted 4 to 2 to continue duties on
Germany,
Italy,
Japan,
Korea,
Mexico, and Tawain. Duties on
France and the United Kingdom will be lifted.
While the reasons for the ITCs decision will not be made available until later in June, William E. Gaskin, President of PMA was quick to voice his discontent at the ITCs vote calling the duties "needless protection and a major disappointment for
US manufacturers, going on to say that the vote is, another example of what looks more and more like the government's decision to permanently protect the
US steel industry, regardless of market conditions or the damage caused to
US steel users."
Currently, there are 188 antidumping or countervailing duties in place on various steel or steel-related sectors. Some have been in place for over two decades.
Gaskin: "Continuing
stainless steel duties impacts steel consumers who need imports to sustain their business. These duties are simply not warranted and only work against U.S. manufacturers who need to source raw materials to stay competitive."
PMA is the full-service trade association representing the $41-billion metalforming industry of
North America-the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping, fabricating and other value-added processes. Its nearly 1,200 member companies include metal stampers, fabricators, spinners, slide formers and roll formers as well as suppliers of equipment, materials and services to the industry. Members are located in 30 countries, with the majority found in
North America in 41 states of the United States as well as
Canada and
Mexico.