Between a Rock and a Not-So-Hard Place

U.S. steel producers want someone else to pick up their healthcare and retirement benefit bills for retired steelworkers.

U.S. steel producers want President Bush to impose 40-50 percent tariffs on 80 percent of the steel products imported into the United States.

U.S. steel producers want the proceeds from the 40-50 percent tariffs to go directly into their pockets.

Who will have to pay the bill? American steel consumers. What's in it for them?

• Higher prices for the steel they need to make products in the United States.
  
  
• Thousands of lost jobs.
  
  
• Businesses that depend on competitive steel threatened with bankruptcy.

On Friday, December 7, the U.S. International Trade Commission must make a decision: give steel producers draconian import protection and force thousands of job losses in other manufacturing sectors of the economy, or find a better path to helping the steel industry that rejects destructive import restrictions. The choice is clear to American consuming industries.

CITAC'S SOLUTIONS:

• Avoid import restrictions-they steal U.S. jobs.
• Give consumers a full voice in the steel policy formulation process.
• Allow unrestricted imports of steel products unavailable from U.S. suppliers.
• Do not layer steel quotas on top of other types of import restrictions (e.g., dumping duties).
• Do not force customers to pay steel industry "legacy costs" (pensions and health care for retired workers).

Get all the facts: Call CITAC

The Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition

www.citac-trade.org