Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!mmt From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) Newsgroups: can.politics Subject: Re: Eastern Myopia (steel prices) Message-ID: <1284@dciem.UUCP> Date: Mon, 17-Dec-84 13:13:53 EST Article-I.D.: dciem.1284 Posted: Mon Dec 17 13:13:53 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 17-Dec-84 14:34:24 EST References: <854@ubc-cs.UUCP> <653@watcgl.UUCP> <874@ubc-cs.UUCP> <10346@watmath.UUCP>Reply-To: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor) Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada Lines: 30 Summary: >Supporting total free trade I can think of lots of things that were given >up; the extra money to by the more expensive product, non-Canadian steel, >freedom of choice and maybe even jobs. How many construction projects would >have proceed if the materials had been cheaper? The artificially high price >of Canadian steel affects the industries concerned with the manufacture of >tractors, farm machinery and cars and makes them more uncompetitive then >they need be. Notice how all these sectors of the economy also have quotas and >tariffs placed on the foreign competition. How can these industries compete >effectively in the real world if they are handcuffed right off the start >by having to use a raw materials that are over priced? > > Donald Acton If Canadian steel is so overpriced, why do the Americans have to resort to various mechanisms to prevent it competing with their steel? Canada sometimes gets exemption for steel on the grounds that the Canadian steel industry is fair in pricing, but even that doesn't prevent the introduction of US regulations like requiring imported steel pipe to be engraved (or impressed) with the country of origin. (This dramatically increases the susceptibility of the pipe to corrosion, and effectively prohibits its use). Without knowing any of the figures, these US reactions make me sceptical about the allegedly high price of Canadian steel. -- Martin Taylor {allegra,linus,ihnp4,floyd,ubc-vision}!utzoo!dciem!mmt {uw-beaver,qucis,watmath}!utcsrgv!dciem!mmt