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ISU COMMENDS WISE FOR URGING BUSH TO HELP THE STEEL INDUSTRY Weirton, W.Va. -- ISU officials say Gov. Bob Wise deserves credit for his efforts in trying to help the Mountain State's steelmakers. Mark Roach, chairman of the ISU's sheet mill division, said Wise met briefly with President Bush earlier this week. ``Gov. Wise thanked the president for his diligence in initiating the Section 201 investigation into illegal imports,'' said Roach. ``The governor also told President Bush about the serious concerns which are facing our industry and emphasized that helping companies like Weirton Steel and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel is a top priority for state leaders.'' Roach said Gov. Wise has been a true friend to the industry and has kept his promise of having an open-door policy. Roach and ISU President Mark Glyptis are in regular contact with the governor's office to discuss legislative efforts that might help Weirton Steel, as well as projects which could be done on a larger scale to keep the Bush administration focused on the issue. Bush is expected to announce his decision in early March about the most suitable remedy to end the import crisis and to put domestic producers on the road to financial recovery. The International Trade Commission ruled in October that the American industry has been harmed by the devastating impact of unfairly priced imports. Although industry leaders had hoped the ITC would issue a strong remedy recommendation to the president in December, the commissioners rendered an opinion that fell far short of what steel supporters had hoped for. Glyptis was among the officials who testified before the ITC asking that tariffs as high as 50 percent be imposed for a four-year period. The ITC gave a proposal to the president which includes a variety of disjointed opinions, calling for tariffs that range from as low as 8 percent to as high as 40 percent. A 50 percent tariff for four years is the maximum penalty allowed under Section 201 of the 1974 Fair Trade Act. Glyptis has invited Bush to visit Weirton to see firsthand how important the local steel mill is to the Ohio Valley. ``The long-term viability of our company and the entire domestic industry depends on the type of remedy that will be implemented by the president,'' said Glyptis. ``We've been fortunate to have Gov. Wise supporting our cause and to have a president that has been more responsive to our needs than his predecessor ever was.'' | ||||||||||
