U.S. has no plans concerning introduction of new limitations on import of Russian steel

So far the U.S. Government has no plans concerning the introduction of the new limitations on the import of the Russian steel, U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for market access and compliance William Lash disclosed on Wednesday at the press-conference in Moscow.

"Speaking about the agreement on the steel trade our government has no plans concerning the adoption of the concrete measures. In this case we are waiting from our Russian colleagues proper proposals," Mr. Lash said.

The agreement, which validity term expired on July 12, 2004, envisaged the limitation of the Russian steel import in the U.S.

Mr. Lash noted, that the U.S. Administration and the Government expressed their concern in connection with the limitation of the Russian steel import in the USA.

"Russia and Ukraine remain the largest steel exporters, who at the same time impose various limitations," he added.

The All-Embracing agreement on the steel trade between the U.S. and Russia was reached on July 12, 1999. The initiators of the agreement were the heads of the major Russian steel enterprises, against which the USA conducted the antidumping investigation and forced them to pay-off enormous fines.

In 2002 German Gref in the course of the talks with U.S. Secretary of Commerce managed to obtain the U.S. permission on the Russia's withdrawal from the All-Embracing agreement and consequently on the increase of the U.S. quotas on the import of Russian steel. However, the government's initiative was turned down with the interference of the leading Russian steel enterprises, which appealed to the Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry not to let Russia's withdrawal from the All-Embracing agreement in the unilateral order.

In the end of 2003 at the Russo-American summit, dedicated to Russia's annexation to the WTO, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade stated that Russia had no intentions to prolong the All-Embracing agreement on the steel trade.