Bush Rejects Quotas on Chinese Steel Pipe
From Associated Press
President Bush denied a request to place quotas on steel pipe imported from China, saying the cost to American consumers would outweigh the benefit to domestic producers.
U.S. pipe makers and a labor group condemned the decision. They had sought quotas on certain kinds of steel pipe used primarily in construction. They said a surge in imports from China was disrupting markets.
The U.S. International Trade Commission had backed the request, but Bush rejected its recommendation.
From Associated Press
* The launch of a free-trade zone under the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which had been scheduled for Sunday, will be delayed, perhaps for several months, the U.S. government said.
