§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement on the European Economic Community discussions on 22 June about United States curbs on European steel exports; and if, in particular, he was able to assure the European Council that the British Steel Corporation did not engage in the practice of dumping steel.
§ Mr. Peter ReesThe Council expressed its grave concern about the announcement by the United States Department of Commerce on 11 June of preliminary determinations in its countervailing investigations against Community steel exports to the United States, and drew attention to the far-reaching measures adopted over recent years to restructure the Community steel industry, the costs of which were very heavy in both cash and social terms. The Community intends inter alia to challenge the compatibility of the United States action with the aims and commitments of the OECD consensus on steel, and to press the United States to find solutions to the steel problem through constructive discussions.
While United States anti-dumping investigations into certain Community steel exports are in train, preliminary determinations of dumping are not due until August and the anti-dumping cases were not discussed on this occasion.