15th CPA Issues Forum: China, Steel and Pollution PDF Print E-mail
Written by Stumo   
Thursday, 18 June 2009

Scott Paul of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, and Roseanne Brown of the United Steel Workers, presented on China's steel industry and the resulting emissions problems.  The AAM report professionally showed the large amount of emissions from China's steel industry.  Also discussed was what do we do about it in a trade context.

China has few environmental laws, very little enforcement, and very small fines for violations.  The result is very cheap steel, while harming air quality worldwide.

Scott Paul's power point presentation is below the fold.

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written by China Watcher , June 19, 2009
Actually, China has rather extensive legislation and regulations regarding most environmental issues. The standards contained in them, however, are low compared to those enforced in industrialized countries. The enforcement issues greatly compound the problem, as Trade Reform notes. It's probably an exaggeration to say that China's inadequate environmental regime results in "very cheap" steel. China is not a low-cost supplier of steel to world markets, and the advantages they do have stem far more from cheap capital, low-cost construction, the export subsidy effects of a cheap currency, (on and off) rebates of the value added tax, and access to cheap credit. Compared to any of those, the environmental cost advantage is relatively modest.
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