Washington, D.C.— Iowa Congressman Steve King today commended President Bush for lifting the Section 201 steel tariffs.  As a member of the Small Business Committee, this is an issue that he closely watched and supported.  

 “Today the President has decided to completely lift the Section 201 steel tariffs,” said King.  “This is a victory for our economy, steel consumers, and the trade agenda.

 “As an advocate for a strong international trade agenda, I joined several members in urging President Bush to eliminate the Section 201 steel tariffs at the earliest opportunity.  Removing these tariffs will provide important momentum to the efforts to break down the barriers to free trade worldwide.

 “A strong global trading system is critical to America’s economic prosperity and global competitiveness.  The U.S. is currently pursuing a trade agenda that will hopefully provide enormous opportunities to open new markets for America’s goods, services, and farm products.  As the United States Trade Representative has stated, the elimination of global tariffs worldwide would “benefit the average American family of four with an extra $1,600 a year, while also removing high foreign tariff barriers on more than $670 billion in U.S. industrial and consumer goods exports.”  In order to keep America economically strong, our free trade agenda must succeed.

 “By completely eliminating the Section 201 steel tariffs, you can send a signal to American consumers and our trading partners that the United States stands proudly as the world’s leader in advancing trade liberalization.”

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