Half an Ingot for the Steel Industry

Reagan rejects quotas but accepts another form of protectionism

In a long-awaited decision last week that left no one jumping for joy, President Reagan ruled out import quotas to shield the American steel industry from cheaper foreign steel. Instead he opted for a system of voluntary restraints on shipments to the U.S. by producers in Japan, Brazil, South Korea and elsewhere and vowed stiffer enforcement of existing Fair Trade laws. Unionized steelworkers said Reagan did not go far enough toward protecting their jobs. The steel industry, drained by $4.7 billion in losses during the...

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