The American Iron and Steel Institute called for China to end its trade distorting policies and practices and to finally comply with all of its World Trade Organization obligations, according to oral and written testimony presented today at the Office of the US Trade Representative USTR to the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee TPSC.

Mr Barry Solarz AISI senior vice president of trade and economic policy emphasized in his oral testimony “Despite clear evidence that China has repeatedly violated its WTO obligations, it continues to practice WTO illegal and market distorting behavior and its state owned and supported steel industry continues to grow dramatically to the point where it is now roughly seven time the size of our privately owned, market based, highly efficient steel industry here in the United States.”

He said “China’s failure to uphold its WTO commitment continues to harm U.S. manufacturers. According to one recent estimate, over the past decade since China joined the WTO, 2.8 million US jobs have been lost or displaced, including 1.9 million in manufacturing. The US trade deficit with China has soared from USD 83 billion in 2000 to over USD 273 billion in 2010 and so far this year, it is running about 12% higher than last year.”

It was the Institute’s eighth written submission to the USTR on this critical issue.