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The Bush-Cheney Transition Office

Dear Secretary Cheney:

The attached position statement on steel trade policy is for the consideration of the Bush-Cheney Transition Team. As a coalition representing the nation's industries that need competitive imports to manufacture in the United States, we urge the Bush-Cheney team to consider carefully the effects of trade protection for steel and other industries on U.S. downstream users of these products. Our industries need steel and other products to be globally competitive. Protection designed to help one industry hurts downstream industries.

Domestic steel producers, who have benefited from trade protection for most of the last 30 years, are asking again for protection from imports. In determining the best policy for steel producers, consider that there are no easy answers. Steel imports are absolutely necessary to US downstream users of steel. Thus, any approach that curtails steel imports will hurt US industries that rely on those imports.

Please consider the attached information from CITAC, the Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition.

Thank you.

Very truly yours,

Jon E. Jenson, CAE
Chairman, CITAC