Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, and Justice and Customs Minister, Senator Chris
Ellison, have committed the Commonwealth Government to implementing
tough new arrangements for the monitoring of steel imports to Australia.
“The Government is determined to remain vigilant and ensure that
unfair steel imports do not swamp our market and threaten Australian
industries and jobs,” the Ministers said.
The announcement on import monitoring came after the first meeting
of the Ministerial Task Force on steel. The grouping was established,
following the steel industry summit on 19 March, to discuss a coordinated
Government, industry and union response to the United States decision
to impose a range of import restrictions on steel.
The Ministers welcomed the constructive tone of today’s Task Force
meeting.
“The Task Force participants have expressed a shared concern at
the possible impact the extraordinary chain of recent events in
the global steel market will have on Australia. It is in that context
that the Government has acted to introduce a rigorous system for
monitoring imports,” the Ministers said.
The Ministers noted that the import monitoring effort will be led
by a permanent project team in the Australian Customs Service which
will screen imports of steel products for any significant changes
in trading patterns.
The project team, which comprises customs data and industry analysts,
will continue for as long as the US decision has a potential impact
on Australia.
The data and information gathered will be scrutinised by Customs
and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, for indications
of whether steel is being dumped in Australia. The Ministers noted
that the import monitoring exercise will bring together the steel
industry and Government to assess changes in trading patterns that
may flow through from the international steel market and to discuss
appropriate policy responses.
The Ministers welcomed the new arrangements as a key weapon in
the fight to prevent dumped imports from damaging the Australian
industry.
