US steel industry continues to push for duties on Indian imports
The imports of
stainless steel products, including bars, angles and
wire rods from
India, are claimed to be continuously increasing by the
US steel producers. As a result of this situation, the US producers continue to push for inclusion of these imports in the import relief program by the Bush administration.
India is exempted from the S201 sanctions due to its developing country status.
The statistical data released last Friday by the Specialty Steel Industry of
North America (SSINA), representing the producers in the US, is intended to serve as further evidence that
stainless steel imports from
India are flooding the US on the contrary to the assurances that the Indian government made that the imports would not disrupt the US industry.
SSINA had previously made similar requests to the Bush Administration previously, with the complaint that Indian producers are taking advantage of their exclusion from the safeguard programme.
According to the data released by SSINA,
stainless steel bar and angle imports from
India in the first quarter of 2003 increased by 97% at 6'080 tons over first quarter 2002 imports of 3'092 tons. In 2002 total
stainless steel bar and angle imports from
India were 18'496 tons, 189% higher than the 2001 figure of 6'397 tons.
Meanwhile,
stainless steel rod imports grew by 163% and
wire by 134% over 2002 first quarter results.