HF 411

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                             A resolution 
  1.2             requesting a ban on the importation of certain steel 
  1.3             products. 
  1.4      
  1.5      WHEREAS, the current financial crises in Asia, Russia, and 
  1.6   other regions have involved massive depreciation in the 
  1.7   currencies of several key steel-producing and steel-consuming 
  1.8   countries and a collapse in the domestic demand for steel in 
  1.9   those countries; and 
  1.10     WHEREAS, these crises have generated and will continue to 
  1.11  generate surges in United States imports of steel, both from the 
  1.12  countries whose currencies have depreciated in the crisis and 
  1.13  from steel-producing countries that are no longer able to export 
  1.14  steel to the countries in economic crisis; and 
  1.15     WHEREAS, foreign government trade restrictions and private 
  1.16  restraints of trade distort international trade and investment 
  1.17  patterns and result in burdens on United States commerce, 
  1.18  including absorption of a disproportionate share of diverted 
  1.19  steel trade, which ultimately have a detrimental effect on this 
  1.20  state's economy; and 
  1.21     WHEREAS, there is a well-recognized need for improvements 
  1.22  in the enforcement of United States trade laws to provide an 
  1.23  effective response to these situations; NOW, THEREFORE, 
  1.24     BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota 
  2.1   that it requests the President of the United States to commence 
  2.2   immediate study to determine the entry into the customs 
  2.3   territory of the United States of all steel products that are 
  2.4   the product of or are manufactured in Australia, China, South 
  2.5   Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, 
  2.6   or Brazil to determine whether the governments of those 
  2.7   countries are abiding by the spirit and letter of international 
  2.8   trade agreements with respect to imports of steel products into 
  2.9   the United States, and take all actions necessary to enforce 
  2.10  applicable trade agreements and laws of the United States 
  2.11  pertaining to steel imports. 
  2.12     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests the 
  2.13  President of the United States to immediately impose a one-year 
  2.14  ban on imports of all steel products that are the products of or 
  2.15  are manufactured in Australia, China, South Africa, Ukraine, 
  2.16  Indonesia, India, Japan, Russian, South Korea, or Brazil if the 
  2.17  President finds that the governments of those countries are not 
  2.18  abiding by the spirit and letter of international trade 
  2.19  agreements with respect to imports of steel products into the 
  2.20  United States. 
  2.21     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests the 
  2.22  President of the United States to establish a task force within 
  2.23  the executive branch to closely monitor imports of steel 
  2.24  products to the United States from other countries to determine 
  2.25  whether international trade agreements are being violated. 
  2.26     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State shall 
  2.27  transmit enrolled copies of this resolution to the President of 
  2.28  the United States and to Minnesota's Senators and 
  2.29  Representatives in Congress.