An import licensing program to give the US government a warning about steel import surges took effect on February 1, 2003. The Commerce Department announced that importers, importing agents and brokers would be able to obtain user identification numbers and apply for licenses. The Steel Import License and Surge Monitoring program was part of the President's steel safeguards initiative implemented last March. The license application program is designed to provide data before imports actually enter the US to deter continuing surges. Although the program will track only steel products covered under the Section 201 trade remedy, steel companies in developing countries exempt from the tariffs also will be required to apply for a license to track their imports. Developing countries that exceed an individual import threshold of 3% or a cumulative import market share of 9% for a product category will be required to pay the tariffs. Several steel groups have already alerted the government to countries they believe should be paying the import tariffs. For more information, go to the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration website at www.ia.ita.doc.gov/steel/license.
 American Wire Producers Association |
