“We support the United States Government’s refusal to accept the conclusions of today’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Panel reports involving challenges to the United States’ Section 232 national security measures on steel. Issues of national security should not be reviewed via the WTO dispute settlement process. Furthermore, the WTO has no power to dictate how a WTO Member responds to issues that threaten its sovereignty and national security”, said Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) president Philip K. Bell.
Bell added, “These convoluted reports underscore the need for WTO reform and highlight the ineffectiveness of the body in dealing with global excess steel capacity and market distorting behavior. At the end of the day, these reports do not change anything regarding the section 232 duties. We are pleased to see the Biden administration’s strong response to this erroneous interpretation and its support of domestic steelmakers.”
