CANADA TO MONITOR STEEL IMPORTS, EXPORTS
Canada plans to monitor steel shipments
flowing in and out of the country in an attempt to appease
concerns in the U.S. over the high level of Canadian steel
exports, Trade Minister Pat Carney said.
    "To help maintain our open access to the U.S. steel market,
the government is taking further action to ensure we have more
accurate data on exports and imports and that Canada is not
used as a backdoor to the U.S. market by offshore suppliers,"
Carney said.
    Carney also said Canadian companies were being asked to
exercise prudence in the U.S. market and both countries were
considering establishing a joint commission to study the
growing steel problem.
    Carney told the House of Commons she will soon announce an
amendment to the Exports and Imports Permits Act to set up the
monitoring program.
    Canadian steel shipments to the U.S. have risen to 5.7 pct
cent of the U.S. market in recent months, almost double the
level just two years ago, Canadian trade officials said.
    The increase in Canadian shipments comes at a time of
growing anger in the U.S. over rising steel imports from
several countries in the face of a decline in the domestic
steel industry.
    Some U.S. lawmakers have proposed Canada's share of the
American market be limited to 2.4 pct.
 Reuter
