A group of US Senators sent a letter to the Department of Commerce Wednesday, urging the department to consider the impact of cheaper imports on US steel companies when it issues preliminary rulings later this month in the trade case against Turkish and Mexican rebar. The letter was signed by 31 senators: 16 Republicans and 15 Democrats.
"It is essential that we do everything that we can do to prevent unfairly traded imports from negatively impacting good-paying American jobs, especially in these challenging economic times," said the letter to Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.
According to lawmakers in the letter, rebar imports from Turkey and Mexico have nearly doubled from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, imports of rebar from Turkey were valued at approximately $381 million, and those from Mexico were valued at $182 million.
"Ohio steelworkers can compete and win on a level playing-field," said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio in the letter, "but Washington must stand up for American manufactured goods and prevent unfairly traded products from threatening jobs here at home."