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Proc 7273ProclamationClinton · D Quiet signal

Proclamation 7273

To Facilitate Positive Adjustment to Competition From Imports of Certain Steel Wire Rod

This proclamation imposes a three-year-plus-one-day tariff-rate quota on imports of certain steel wire rod to protect the domestic industry from serious injury due to increased imports. It excludes products from Mexico and Canada under NAFTA provisions and suspends duty-free treatment under several trade preference programs (GSP, CBERA, ATPA, and Israel FTA) for steel wire rod.

Federal Register Open PDF 65 FR 8621

Impact dates

  1. Deletion of HTS note and tariff provisions

  2. Termination of import relief and duty-free suspensions

  3. Tariff-rate quota takes effect; duty-free suspensions take effect

Key directives

  • Establish tariff-rate quota on steel wire rod imports for 3 years plus 1 day
  • Exclude Mexico and Canada from restrictions
  • Suspend duty-free treatment under GSP, CBERA, ATPA, and Israel FTA
  • Apply quarterly quota administration rules
  • Terminate relief March 1, 2003 or earlier proclaimed date
  • Delete HTS modifications March 1, 2004

Timeline

Immediate

  • Tariff-rate quota takes effect March 1, 2000
  • Duty-free treatment suspended under GSP, CBERA, ATPA, and Israel FTA

Near term (90d)

  • First quarter quota monitoring begins

Long term

  • Quota relief terminates March 1, 2003 (or earlier if proclaimed)
  • HTS modifications deleted March 1, 2004
  • Annual within-quota increases and over-quota duty reductions in years 2-3

Risks & tensions

  • Potential WTO challenge under safeguard rules (Section 201/203 actions)
  • Trade tension with excluded preference-program beneficiary countries
  • Quarterly quota administration may create import surge timing incentives
Proclamation 7273: To Facilitate Positive Adjustment to Competition From Imports of Certain Steel Wire Rod · Executive Orders