Bush Tarriff's Doing more harm than good!!!!!

[Dreadsox]

[Q]The steep tariffs that President Bush imposed on imported steel 18 months ago have helped the beleaguered U.S. steel industry regain its footing, but likely have had a modestly negative impact on the overall economy and the woeful U.S. job market, the U.S. International Trade Commission has concluded.



The eagerly anticipated progress report -- completed Friday night, halfway through the tariffs' three-year duration -- will give both steel producers and steel-consuming industries such as automakers and tool companies ammunition for the fierce lobbying battle already underway in Washington over the tariffs' future.

Although the president is not required to make any changes to the tariffs, the World Trade Organization is expected in November to allow the European Union to impose billions of dollars in retaliatory import quotas on U.S. goods. The Bush administration's economic team, which was divided on the tariffs last year, is now united in its call to lift them by then. And some Bush political advisers fear the tariffs may have backfired politically, by costing the president more support in steel-using states such as Michigan and Tennessee than the support he gained in steel-making states such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia. [/Q]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40505-2003Sep20.html

 

[anitram]

Steel tariffs, softwood lumber, etc, etc = having no foresight.

 

[STING2]

The tarrifs were a bad idea.

 

[melon]

Steel, in itself, may be "obsolete" soon enough, as carbon nanotubes become mass producable. In experiments, these nanotubes have proven to be both stronger and lighter than steel.

Melon

 

[STING2]

Melon,

Do you know how much stronger this stuff is as a ratio?

 

[Scarletwine]

There are many steel manufacturers here in my town and in Cleveland. The steel workers are already playing commercials often during prime time saying "tell President Bush to keep his promise" to the steel workers. I know it is not paid for by the unions but the companies, even though they try to make it sound like a union call.

I don't know enough to have an opinion, but they certainly will make it a campaign issue. I'd love to see him do the right thing *please*.

edited: cause I have a new keyboard and I suck typing on it.

 

[Popmartijn]

Hello,

Hmm, I guess it took the US International Trade Commission 1 1/2 years to read the posts on FYM. IIRC, the general conclusion here was that the tarriffs were a bad idea. I wonder why they didn't listen to us sooner?


C ya!

Marty