Officials: Steel industry being kept in the dark

Knowing how much imported steel is coming into the United States and at what price would be a good first step in promoting a level competitive playing field for domestic manufacturers, steel industry executives told a congressional panel Downtown on Thursday.

"We were promised a permanent import monitoring system when tariffs were lifted, but we have had no activity for seven months," said John Surma, who becomes chief executive of U.S. Steel Corp. on Oct. 1. "We need access to the most timely information possible."

That relief could be on the way as Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Philadelphia, chairman of the Senate Steel Caucus, said he received notification Wednesday night from the Department of Commerce that such a monitoring rule is being drafted.

Specter, together with U.S. representatives Tim Murphy, R-Mt. Lebanon; Phil English, R-Erie; and Melissa Hart, R-Bradford Woods, convened a hearing at the Allegheny County Courthouse to discuss world trade negotiations and ways to strengthen U.S. trade law.

Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers of America, testified that import levels have risen steadily in recent months, but said that fact isn't creating much of a stir because most domestic mills are producing at top capacity.

Gerard warned that another downturn in demand -- countries like China are capable of producing more of their own needs -- will create another crisis in the industry.

"We need more domestic consolidation, but not at the cost of jobs. We need to grow our capacity," he said.

John Shilling, executive vice president of Allegheny Technologies Inc., said specialty metals makers like his Pittsburgh-based company are increasingly being forced to invest in offshore production as foreign companies offer subsidies in order to import U.S. technology.

He said the U.S. government has no strategy for providing incentives to manufacturers to invest in the United States.