TORONTO - The United Steelworkers union welcomes yesterday's announcement of a federal investigation into unfair steel imports from China and seeks legal reform that would allow it to participate in this process.

The Canada Border Services Agency will examine the dumping and subsidizing of oil-country tubular goods from China into the Canadian market. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal will examine the injury that these practices have done to Canadian producers. This process could lead to remedial duties on Chinese imports to offset the imbalance created by dumping and/or subsidies.

"We have been requesting this action for months," said Ken Neumann, Canadian National Director of the United Steelworkers. In an April 17 letter to International Trade Minister Stockwell Day, he had written, "It is urgent that the Government of Canada investigate whether this surge in offshore imports reflects dumping by a foreign steelmaker and/or subsidization by a foreign government."

"Our members manufacture oil country tubular goods," said Neumann. "We would like to tell the Canadian International Trade Tribunal about the hundreds of Canadian steelworkers who are currently laid off, in no small part because of China's unfair trade practices."

However, Canada's trade-remedy law prevents Canadian workers and their unions from participating in such investigations. By contrast, American trade law gives unions standing in this process.