WASHINGTON D.C. – As the U.S. Department of Commerce reviews antidumping margins on foreign imports, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to crack down on unfair trade practices and strengthen protections against the dumping of foreign-made products in American markets. In their letter, the Senators brought attention to the 2,000 Illinois steelworkers who were laid off after the temporary idling of blast furnaces and steelmaking operations at Granite City Works, a steel producer in Illinois.
“When domestic producers are forced to lay off workers, close their mills, and cut employees’ pay, it brings devastation to the workers, their families, the community, and surrounding businesses,” wrote the Senators. “The idling of Granite City Works is directly linked to the influx of unfairly traded Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) from Korea – Granite City makes the substrate used for tubular operations. If American companies are not producing OCTG, Granite City has no demand to meet, and the industry and workers that we support and believe in will continue to suffer in the face of unfair competition and dumped imports.”
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Senators Duckworth and Durbin have been outspoken advocates for increased antidumping protections for American companies. In January, Senator Duckworth met with Secretary Ross to discuss the need to safeguard American workers from unfair trade practices like currency manipulation and illegal dumping.
