WASHINGTON — Nearly 300 steel advocates are expected to descend on Capitol Hill this week to discuss leading industry concerns like trade regulation, excessive regulatory burdens and the need to rebuild deteriorating infrastructure during the annual general meeting of the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA).

Among the top issues on the agenda will be the "rapidly growing list of regulatory burdens and impediments" from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to an outline of the discussion points released by the SMA ahead of the meeting.

Trade law enforcement is also at the top of the list for this week’s meeting, including SMA’s concern over the "adverse impacts" of non-market behavior by state-owned enterprises, particularly in China, as well as illegal trade practices.

"The rising amount of unfairly traded, illegally dumped and subsidized steel imports is costing the U.S. tens of thousands of jobs that belong in the American economy," the SMA said.

SMA president Thomas A. Danjczek told AMM that steel imports are of particular concern to the domestic industry because of their steep rise in recent months. April steel imports are up some 26 percent from the same month last year, according to license data from the Commerce Department’s Import Administration division.

Other major topics include securing funding for a long-term infrastructure bill, attaining greater energy independence and looking at government-controlled distortions on raw materials.