Letter to the Editor: Steel, manufacturing sector demands action

Sep 28, 2012 | 01:09 PM |

Tags  Universal Metals, steel, manufacturing, William Feniger

To the Editor:

It’s time for American steel to stand up and speak out to the world. After the restructuring of our industry in the early years of this century, America consolidated, eliminated antiquated operations, invested in more efficient operations and became competitive globally, both in cost and quality.

The challenge facing American steel today is our struggle to compete on a level global plane. If Asian countries can produce coke—a key ingredient for making steel—with no environmental restrictions, or if European mills operate with little to no restrictions for their smoke stacks, then we are not even on the same playing field. Similarly, American mid-size and small manufacturers face unfair foreign competition because of government subsidies, monetary manipulation and cheap labor.....