USTR publishes new exclusion requests filed last December

USTR publishes new exclusion requests filed last December

The first batch of exclusion requests filed in December 2002 as a result of the anniversary round of safeguard measures by the USTR are published on January 6, 2003. Three more batches will follow in the coming weeks. The objections of the domestic producers to this exclusion request will be filed within ten days. These second set of requests, more than 600 are expected to be more carefully drawn compared to the initial rounds. It is reported that the new exclusions will start to be granted starting from 20 March 2003. It is expected under today's circumstances that the US producer mills will argue that probably only a few of the products exclusions of which are requested, cannot be produced in the country. On the other and the US steel consumers are expected to back any further product exclusion, bringing forth the argument that the US producers cannot, or are not willing to produce the specific products they need. The first batch of requests includes products such as coated flats, cold rolled and hot rolled flats, tin mill products, hot, cold and stainless steel bars, plates and welded pipes. In order to see the full list of exclusion requests published under the first batch of 150 products please click here