SMA Executive Vice President Brandon Farris today issued the following statement:

“Utilizing Section 301 is an appropriate and necessary tool to confront the scourge of excess capacity, which threatens American jobs, undermines fair competition, and erodes our manufacturing base.

“The American steel industry has long been a target of structural excess capacity and overproduction in global manufacturing. Countries such as China continue to circumvent trade rules and target critical industries like steel. Steel is essential to both our economic and national security, and foreign producers routinely dump excess production into our market to distort competition and weaken our domestic industries.

“According to the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, China-led global excess capacity exceeded 700 million tons annually last year which is more than eight times total U.S. steel production. This imbalance demands decisive action.

“USTR is right to utilize Section 301 to address these distortions. We cannot continue to allow excess capacity to undermine American manufacturing and weaken our nation.”

Read full testimony here.