Press
Releases --> July
2002 --> 02-65
OFFICE OF THE
UNITED STATES
TRADE
REPRESENTATIVE
Executive Office
of the President
Washington, D.C.
20508
For Immediate
Release
July 3,
2002
02-65
Contact:
Ricardo Reyes (202) 395-3230
U.S. Outlines Process for Steel
Safeguard Exclusions
WASHINGTON - The Office of the US Trade Representative
announced today that it is continuing to make progress in
considering exclusions from the March 5 safeguard provision
imposing temporary tariffs on steel imports. The government
received more than 1,200 requests for certain steel products
to be excluded from the safeguard measure.
"We are moving forward, in close communication with our
industry, to consider the high volume of requests for
exclusions," said U.S. Trade Representative Robert B.
Zoelllick. "The exclusions we are granting are the result of a
complex decision-making process in which we have balanced the
needs of steel consumers and producers while continuing to
preserve the integrity of the safeguard measure."
The government already has granted 224 product
exclusions that were announced on June 7, 17, and 24. These
exclusions will become effective officially upon publication
in the Federal Register, which is expected to occur in a few
days. The administration has now processed all but a small
handful of the original exclusion requests that were made
prior to March 5. The few remaining pre-March 5 requests are
undergoing further consideration.
Most of the exclusions – those not subject to a cap on
the volume of imports – will be retroactive to March 20, the
effective date of the safeguard measure. Duties collected on
these products will be refunded. The effective date of the
remaining exclusions will be announced in the Federal Register
notice. Meanwhile, the USTR will be announcing shortly its
plans for dealing with the remaining large volume of
requests.
Under U.S. law or World Trade Organization (WTO)
obligations, the government is not required to grant any
product exclusions. However, when announcing the steel tariffs
in March, President Bush directed the Department of Commerce
and the Office of the United States Trade Representative to
consider individual requests for product
exclusions.
The exclusions granted so far cover a broad range of
steel products and are based on requests from U.S. steel
consumers as well as foreign steel producers. Each exclusion
decision carefully balances domestic industry concerns against
the need to ensure that the safeguard provision is not
undermined.
A complete description of the excluded products will be
published in the Federal Register. Lists and short
descriptions of the products to be excluded can be found in
the three product exclusion announcements of June
7, June
17, and June
24 on USTR's steel
website.
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