Testimony before the Congressional Steel Caucus on Wednesday indicated that some imported Chinese steel may be of sub-standard quality.

The caucus, chaired by U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-1st, heard testimony from a number of industry officials, including Bill Upton, president of Vulcan Threaded Products, a division of Vulcan Steel Products. Upton noted that an independent lab determined that the failure rate of Chinese threaded steel rods reached “an astonishing 60 percent.” Steel rods are used in structural applications for securing of fastening in environments where strength is critically important, such as pipe lines, bridges, and power plants.

“In light of the bad results of independent tests performed on Chinese steel products, it is abundantly clear that we need to put stronger applications in place at our ports of entry,” Visclosky said in a statement released on Wednesday. “When sub-standard steel goes into our roads, bridges, and skyscrapers it threatens our safety and unnecessarily risks American lives. The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection should be working to keep the American people safe by doing more than just enforcing tariffs at our ports.”

Last fall the Congressional Steel Caucus highlighted the use of Chinese pipe on the border fence between the U.S. and Mexico, and citing concerns about the safety of the pipe, as well as about its adverse impact on U.S. steelmakers, the House has announced the American Steel First Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Buy America law to ensure American-made steel is used in applications like the border fence.

Specifically, the law would require construction projects executed by the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Transportation to use 100 percent U.S. steel.

“The American Steel First Act will combat unfair steel imports by requiring the increased use of domestic steel products in federal projects,” Visclosky said. It will give our steel industry a boost, created much-needed American jobs, and save lives.”

Posted 5/1/2008