For Immediate Release

Public Relations Division
Public Affairs Department
1170 Eighth Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18016-7699
(610) 694-3711 - Phone
(610) 694-1509 - Fax

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 23, 1999 -- Pointing to steel import basic facts that tell "an extraordinary, compelling and deeply disturbing account of the severe damage to our industry," the chairman and chief executive officer of Bethlehem Steel Corporation told the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, "the crisis continues."

Curtis H. Barnette and others were speaking about unfairly traded steel imports. He said, "We are experiencing widespread losses in our industry, and there is only one cause -- imports, which are dumped, subsidized, closed out of other markets by official and private restrictions."

Calling upon Congress to consider every effective alternative, Mr. Barnette said the industry recommends trade law changes "to contribute to the solution. The available responses to date have been inadequate. We have done all that we can do as an industry to compete in the marketplace and to responsibly invoke the trade remedies under law.

"We are really at a trade policy crossroads. We believe that a comprehensive and effective response can be based on WTO-consistent principles, but that course requires the Administration to fully use the remedies available to it under current laws, and the Congress to make WTO-consistent changes in our trade remedies where they have proven to be deficient. Prompt, comprehensive and effective action to address the steel import crisis is absolutely essential," Mr. Barnette concluded.