House to Vote on Tin Plate Steel Amendment
The House of Representatives will vote on an amendment that would require the Commerce Department to conduct "a comprehensive study on domestic tin plate steel production and the demand for steel food cans in the U.S. ahead of moving forward with proposed tin-plate steel tariffs."
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The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., one of the party's majority makers, would instruct the department to evaluate the availability of domestic tin plate steel used in making food cans, the costs of inputs of making those cans, as well as the recent and projected impact of tin plate steel imports. The last element already is part of the International Trade Commission's portion of the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on tin mill steel that resulted in proposed remedies from 43% to 294%.
Molinaro's amendment also asks Commerce to evaluate the impact of imported canned foods on can manufacturing, canned food and agricultural industries. The amendment is on the appropriations bill the House is considering that would fund the Commerce, Justice and Science departments.
More than 30 members of the House already argued that the duties could lead to less canning in the U.S., and therefore, fewer markets for vegetable or fruit growers, as well as the lost jobs in canning factories (see 2306160045). They also argue it would hike the prices of canned foods. The Commerce Department doesn't consider the costs to commercial entities that buy the good subject to trade remedies, or the costs to consumers, in AD/CVD investigations.