In an earlier vote, we found that steel wire rod is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing steel wire rod. We must now recommend the action that would address the serious injury to the domestic industry and be the most effective in facilitating the efforts of the domestic industry to make a positive adjustment to import competition. We have considered the relevant factors set out in the statute, the written and oral submissions of all parties, and other information obtained in the investigation.

We recommend the following action:

That the President impose an additional tariff on imported steel wire rod for a four-year period. The additional tariff would amount to 15.0 percent ad valorem and be reduced to 13.0 percent ad valorem in the second year of relief, 11.0 percent ad valorem in the third year of relief, and 9.0 percent ad valorem in the fourth year of relief.

With respect to imports covered by our recommendation, we note that we have made negative findings with respect to imports of steel wire rod from Canada and Mexico under section 311 of the NAFTA Implementation Act and thus this remedy does not apply to imports from those countries. Our findings and remedy recommendations do apply to imports of steel wire rod from beneficiary countries of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act but do not apply to imports of steel wire rod entered duty-free under the Andean Trade Preference Act, or to any imports of steel wire rod from Israel.

Further, our findings and remedy recommendations do not apply to certain specialty steel wire rod items, specifically, tire cord quality wire rod, pipe wrap quality wire rod, and valve spring quality wire rod. Our remedy recommendations to the President will contain definitions of these terms.