Bush Makes No Decision On Steel Tariffs

By Agence France-Presse U.S. President George W. Bush has not yet made a decision on whether to lift controversial tariffs on imports of foreign steel, the White House said on Dec. 1. "He has not made a decision. It remains under review," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. The World Trade Organization is set to formalize on Dec. 10 a ruling saying U.S. safeguards on selected steel imports flout international rules, which could spark billion-dollar retaliatory EU tariffs on a range of U.S. goods. "We continue to consult with users, consumers and members of Congress and others," McClellan said. Several U.S. newspapers on Dec. 1 said Bush had decided to eliminate the tariffs on foreign steel imports. Bush imposed the tariffs in 2002 in a bid to protect America's ailing steel producers, but the EU, Japan, China and Norway have urged Bush to scrap the tariffs or face retaliatory measures. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2003