FTC Prehearing Brief In The Matter of Stainless Steel and Allow Tool (U.S. International Trade Commission

us-ftc-advocacy-filings-adf4c7ccb36642c6b3cf80b78603e280FTC Prehearing Brief In The Matter of Stainless Steel and Allow Tool (U.S. International Trade CommissionAdvocacy Filing

. BEFORE THE UNITED STATES
INTERNATIONAL 	TRADE COMMISSION
)
Stainless 	Steel 	and 	Alloy 	Tool 	)
)
Steel, 	No. 	TA-203-l6 	)
)
---------------)
Prebearing 	Brief 	of 	the
Federal Trade 	Comrois~ion
March 	27, 	1987
87- 	57
rtv
130
( 'J -, J 	. ,'";- :-.
, 	' 	~
Prehearing 	Brief 	by 	the
Federal 	Trade 	Commission
Introduction 	and 	Summary
Continuing 	the 	present 	import 	tariffs 	and 	quotas 	for
specialty 	steel 	could 	impose 	an 	annual 	cost 	on 	United 	States
consumers 	of 	about 	$44 	million, 	which 	averages 	out 	to 	an 	annual
cost 	of 	about 	$83,000 	for 	each 	job 	protected 	in 	the 	domestic
specialty 	steel 	industry. 	Continuing 	to 	restrict 	imports 	of
specialty 	steel 	by 	quotas 	could 	also 	adversely 	affect 	competition
in 	the 	domestic 	industry.
The 	domestic 	specialty 	steel 	industry 	has 	had 	import 	relief
for 	most 	of 	the 	last 	eleven 	years. 	In 	1976 	the 	President,
following 	an 	"escape 	clause" 	investigation 	by 	the 	International
Trade 	Commission 	(RITC R), 	established 	import 	quotas 	for 	various
types 	of 	specialty 	steel. 	41 	Fed. 	Reg. 	24101 	(June 	15, 	1976).
The 	President, 	over 	the 	objection 	of 	the 	domestic 	industry,
permitted 	this 	import 	relief 	to 	expire 	in 	February 	1980. 	44 	Fed.
Reg. 	41362 	(July 	16, 	1979). 	Following 	another 	escape 	clause
investigation 	by 	the 	lTC, 	the 	President, 	in 	July 	1983, 	authorized
another 	four 	years 	of 	import 	relief 	in 	the 	form 	of 	tariffs 	for
stainless 	steel 	sheet, 	strip, 	and 	plate 	and 	global 	quotas 	for
stainless 	steel 	bar 	and 	rods 	and 	alloy 	tool 	steel. 	48 	Fed. 	Reg.
31177 	(July 	7, 	1983).
The 	Specialty 	Steel 	Industry 	of 	the 	United 	States 	and 	the
United 	Steelworkers 	of 	America 	(AFL-CIO) 	have 	now 	petitioned,
pursuant 	to 	19 	U.S.C. 	S 2253(i) (3), 	to 	have 	this 	import 	relief
continue 	for 	another 	three 	ye~rs at 	a 	"level 	of 	relief 	••• 	no
less 	than 	the 	level 	currently 	in 	effect." 	(pet. 	at 	33). 	The
petitioners 	imply 	that 	even 	another 	three 	years 	may 	not 	be 	long
enough, 	as 	"[t]he 	fundamental 	causes 	of 	the 	import 	problem
world 	over-capacity 	and 	trade 	distorting 	practices
••• 	probably 	will 	not 	be 	resolved 	in 	the 	short-term." 	(pet. 	at
iii) •
One 	of 	the 	major 	purposes 	of 	the 	escape 	clause 	is 	"to 	assist
industries, 	firm 	[sic], 	workers, 	and 	communities 	to 	adjust 	to
changes 	in 	international'trade 	flows." 	19 	U.S.C. 	§ 	2102 (4). 	The
petition 	alleges 	that 	during 	the 	last 	3 	1/2 years 	the 	domestic
industry 	has 	undertaken 	numerous 	investments 	that 	have 	lowered
its 	production 	costs 	(pet. 	at 	19-21). 	Energy 	costs 	also 	declined
(id. 	at 	15). 	The 	petition 	gives 	data 	on 	various 	indicia 	of
industry 	performance 	for 	the 	three 	full 	years 	of 	"free 	trade"
(1980-1982) 	and 	the 	first 	two 	full 	years 	of 	the 	current 	period 	of
import 	relief 	(1984 	and 	1985). 	These 	data 	indicate 	that 	there
has 	been 	an 	increase 	in 	the 	domestic 	industry's 	output, 	capacity
utilization 	rate, 	net 	operating 	profits, 	net 	sales, 	and 	net
- 	2 -
Table 	of 	Contents
Page
Introduction 	and 	Summary ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Argument ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I. 	Restricting 	imports 	imposes 	costs 	on 	United
States 	consumer s •••••••••••••••••••••••••••
II. 	Restricting 	imports 	by 	quotas 	may 	have 	an
adverse 	effect 	on 	competition ••••••••••••••
Conclusion .............................•............
1
4
4
10
14
Appendix: 	Costs 	to Consumers, 	Costs 	to 	the 	Economy 	and 	Costs 	Per
Job 	Protected: 	Effects 	of 	Extending 	Tariffs 	on 	Stainless 	Steel
Sheet, 	Strip 	and 	Plate 	and 	Ouotas 	on 	Stainless 	Steel 	Bars 	and
Rods 	and 	Alloy 	Tool 	Steel
i:r
;:
~--
profits 	as 	a 	percentage 	of 	sales. l 	The 	petitioners 	claim,
however, 	that 	imports 	remain 	high, 	prices 	have 	declined, 	and 	the
domestic 	industry 	needs 	three 	additional 	years 	of 	import 	relief
in 	order 	to 	complete 	its 	modernization 	program 	(id. 	at 	12-14, 	26-
27) •
The 	statute 	directs 	the 	ITC 	to 	"advise 	the 	President 	of 	its
judgment 	as 	to 	the 	probable 	economic 	effect 	on 	such 	industry 	of
••• 	termination· 	of 	import 	relief. 	19 	U.S.C. 	S 2253 (i) (3).
The 	ITC 	·shall 	take 	into 	account 	all 	economic 	factors 	which 	it
considers 	relevant, 	including 	• 	• 	• 	the 	effect 	of 	import 	relief
on 	consumers 	• 	• 	• 	and 	on 	competition 	in 	the 	domestic 	markets 	for
s uc h 	art i c 1e s • " 	19 	U. S •C• 	SS 	22 52 (c) (4), 	22 53 ( i) (4). 	Th e
Federal 	Trade 	Commission("FTC·), 	which 	enforces 	the 	antitrust
laws 	in 	order 	to 	promote 	competition 	for 	the 	benefit 	of American
consumers, 	wishes 	to 	offer 	its 	views 	on 	these 	two 	economic
factors.
1 	Annual 	output 	for 	stainless 	steel 	and 	alloy 	tool 	steel 	rose
by 	21 	percent, 	from 	an 	average 	of 	924,000 	tons 	in 	1980-1982
to 	an 	average 	of 	1,118,000 	tons 	in 	1984-1986 	(pet. 	at 	Table
8). 	Capacity 	utilization 	for 	stainless 	steel 	and 	alloy 	tool
steel 	was 	below 	59 	percent 	in 	1980-1982 	and 	above 	65 	percent
for 	1984-1986 	(pet. 	at 	Table 	9). 	Annual 	net 	operating
profits 	averaged 	$73 	million 	in 	1980-1982, 	as 	compared 	to
$164 	million 	in 	1984-1985 	(pet. 	at 	Table 	11). 	Annual 	net
sales 	averaged 	$2.3 	billion 	in 	1980-1982, 	as 	compared 	to 	$2.6
billion 	in 	1984-1985 	(id.). 	Annual 	net 	operating 	profits 	as
a 	percentage 	of 	net 	sales 	was 	about 	3 percent 	in 	1980-1982,
as 	compared 	to 	about 	6 percent 	in 	1984-1985 	(id.).
- 	3 	-
Argument
I. 	Restricting 	imports 	imposes 	costs 	on United 	States 	consumers.
In 	advising 	the 	President, 	the 	ITC 	is 	to 	take 	into 	account,
inter 	alia, 	"the 	effect 	of 	import 	relief 	on 	consumers."2 	19
u.S.C. 	SS 	2252(c) (4), 	2253(i) (4). 	The 	petition 	asserts 	(at 	31)
"There 	has 	been 	minimal 	adverse 	effect 	of 	the 	existing 	relief
program 	on 	consumers. 	Prices 	for 	many 	high-volume 	products 	have
declined, 	and 	price 	increases 	on 	others 	have 	been 	small."
However, 	the 	petitioners' 	comparison 	of 	current 	prices 	with 	past
2 	The 	Senate 	stated
"With 	regard 	to 	the 	effect 	of 	relief 	on
consumers, 	the 	Committee 	feels 	that 	the 	goals 	of
the 	Employment Act 	of-1946 	should 	be 	paramount.
Unemployed 	persons 	are 	not 	happy 	consumers. 	The
Executive 	should 	not 	confuse 	the 	effect 	on
consumers 	with 	the 	effect 	on 	importers 	or 	foreign
producers; 	they 	are 	not 	the 	same. 	If 	the 	choice 	is
between 	(1) 	allowing 	an 	industry 	to 	collapse 	and
thereby 	creating 	greater 	unemployment, 	larger
Federal 	or 	state 	unemployment 	compensation
payments, 	reduced 	tax 	revenues, 	and 	all 	the 	other
costs 	to 	the 	economy 	associated 	with 	high
unemployment, 	or 	(2) 	temporarily 	protecting 	that
industry 	from 	excessive 	imports 	at 	some 	marginal
costs 	to 	the 	consumer, 	then 	the 	Committee 	feels
that 	the 	President 	should 	adopt 	the 	latter 	course
and 	protect 	the 	industry 	and 	the 	jobs 	associated
with 	that 	industry." 	S. 	Rep. 	No. 	1298, 	93d 	Cong.,
2d 	Sess. 	(1974) 	at 	125.
This 	investigation 	does 	not 	appear 	to 	present 	the 	stark
choice 	considered 	by 	the 	Senate. 	First, 	the 	estimates 	of 	Dr.
Tarr, 	discussed 	in 	the 	text, 	indicate 	that 	the 	costs 	to 	consumers
for 	each 	job 	protected 	are 	quite 	high. 	Moreover, 	there 	is 	no
claim by 	petitioners 	that 	the 	domestic 	industry 	will 	"collapse"
if 	import 	relief 	is 	terminated. 	Finally, 	it 	is 	not 	clear 	that
the 	petitioners 	seek 	only 	"temporary" 	protection. 	Escape 	clause
relief 	has 	been 	in 	effect 	about 	70 	percent 	of 	the 	time 	over 	the
last 	eleven 	years; 	the 	petitioners 	seek 	an 	additional 	three 	years
of 	import 	relief 	and 	imply 	that, 	even 	at 	the 	end 	of 	this
additional 	period, 	the 	industry 	may 	continue 	to 	need 	relief.
- 	4 -
prices 	is 	misleading. 	The 	appropriate 	test 	is 	to 	compare 	current
prices 	with 	the 	price 	that 	would 	have 	existed 	if 	there 	had 	been
no 	import 	relief.
As 	discussed 	in 	more 	detail 	in 	the 	Appendix, 	Dr. 	David 	Tarr
of 	our 	Bureau 	of 	Economics 	has 	estimated 	the 	gains 	to 	United
States 	consumers 	and 	the 	United 	States 	economy3 	of 	allowing 	the
tariffs 	and 	quotas 	to 	expire 	as 	scheduled. 	These 	gains 	are
estimated 	separately 	for 	a 	removal 	of 	the 	current 	4 percent
tariff 	surcharge 	on 	stainless 	steel 	sheet, 	strip 	and 	plate 4 and
3 	The 	gain 	to 	the 	economy 	is 	the 	gain 	to 	consumers 	reduced 	by
any 	losses 	of 	revenue -to 	the 	government 	or 	losses 	to 	other
sectors 	of 	the 	economy, 	such 	as 	producers, 	flowing 	from 	the
particular 	policy 	chosen.
4 	As 	part 	of 	the 	President's 	general program 	for 	the
entire 	steel 	industry, 	the 	United 	States 	has 	also 	negotiated
voluntary 	restraint 	agreements 	("VRAs") 	with 	many 	foreign
countries 	that 	limit 	the 	amount 	of 	some 	of 	the 	specialty
steel 	products 	involved 	in 	this 	proceeding 	that 	can 	be
exported 	to 	the 	United 	States. 	Petitioners 	allege 	that 	these
agreements 	have 	not 	established 	an 	effective 	binding 	quota
for 	United 	States 	imports 	of 	these 	products 	(pet. 	at 	7-8).
Dr. 	Tarr's 	analysis 	assumes 	this 	allegation 	is 	correct 	and
treats 	the 	tariff 	as 	the 	only 	form 	of 	import 	relief 	for 	these
products.
In 	the 	event 	that 	this 	allegation 	by 	the 	petitioners 	is
not 	accurate, 	and 	the 	VRAs 	do 	represent 	a 	binding 	restraint
on 	imports 	of 	stainless 	steel 	flat 	products 	(even 	in 	the
presence 	of 	the 	current 	four 	percent 	tariff 	surcharge), 	then
the 	estimates 	of 	Dr. 	Tarr 	for 	flat 	rolled 	products 	would 	not
apply. 	Instead, 	removal 	of 	the 	tariff 	on 	staInless 	flat
rolled 	products 	would 	result 	in 	no 	gains 	to 	consumers 	and 	no
jobs 	lost. 	Moreover, 	removal 	of 	the 	tariff 	would 	result 	in 	a
loss 	to 	the 	economy 	because 	tariff 	surcharge 	revenue 	on 	flat
products 	would 	be 	transferred 	to 	foreigners 	as 	additional
quota 	rents.
With 	the 	exception 	of 	the 	European 	Economic Community,
the 	VRAs 	essentially 	do 	not 	cover 	stainless 	steel 	bars 	and
rods 	and 	alloy 	tool 	steel. 	Thus, 	the 	VRAs 	are 	not 	a 	binding
restraint 	for 	this 	portion 	of 	the 	industry 	and 	the 	estimates
for 	this 	section 	of 	the 	industry 	are 	not 	affected 	by 	them.
Continued
- 	5 	-
for 	a 	removal 	of 	the 	quotas 	on 	stainless 	steel 	bars 	and 	rods 	and
alloy 	tool 	steel. 	The 	separate 	estimates 	are 	then 	combined 	to
arrive 	at 	aggregate 	gains 	to 	consumers 	and 	the 	economy 	from
allowing 	both 	parts 	of 	the 	protection 	to 	expire.
As 	shown 	in 	Table 	1, 	the 	annual 	gains 	to 	United 	States
consumers 	of 	terminating 	the 	relief 	to 	both 	sectors 	of 	the
industry 	are 	about 	$44 	million; 	the 	annual 	gains 	to 	the 	United
States 	economy 	are 	about 	$27 	million. 	The 	reason 	for 	the
difference 	between 	the 	numbers 	is 	that 	part 	of 	the 	gain 	to
domestic 	consumers 	comes 	from 	losses 	to 	United 	States 	producers
of 	these 	products, 	which 	will 	reduce 	the 	net 	gain 	to 	the 	economy
as 	a 	whole. 	Domestic 	producers 	stand 	to 	lose 	about 	$10 	million
from 	termination 	of 	the 	relief. 	Similarly, 	part 	of 	what 	both
United 	States 	consumers 	and 	the 	United 	States 	economy 	gain 	comes
from 	foreigners, 	who 	will 	lose 	about 	$21 million 	per 	year 	due 	to
removal 	of 	the 	quotas.
See 	the 	Appendix 	for 	details.
- 	6 	-
TABLE 	1
ESTIMATED ANNUAL 	GAINS 	TO CONSUMERS 	AND 	THE ECONOMY
FROM REMOVAL 	OF 	TARIFFS 	AND 	QUOTAS
Tariff 	Removal 	on 	Stainless 	Steel 	Sheet, 	Strip 	and 	Plate
and 	Quota 	Removal 	on 	Stainless 	Steel 	Bars 	and
Rods 	and 	Alloy 	Tool 	Steel
(millions 	of 	1986 	dollars)
SHEET, 	STRIP 	BARS 	& RODS 	&
COMBINED 	& PLATE 	ALLOY TOOL 	STEEL
1. 	GAINS 	TO 	CONSUMERS 	44.3 	21.9 	22.4
2. 	Losses 	of 	Domestic
Producers 	9.7 	9.6 	0.1
3. 	Recaptured 	Quota
Rents 	from 	Foreigners 	21.2 	0 	21.2
4. 	GAINS 	TO 	THE U.S. 	ECONOMY* 	26.6 	3.2 	23.4
*For 	a 	more 	detailed 	table, 	with 	changes 	in 	tariff 	revenues 	and
other 	relevant 	estimates 	of 	gains 	to 	the 	economy 	and 	how 	these 	gains
to 	the 	economy 	can 	be 	derived 	from 	the 	elements 	in 	the 	same 	column,
see 	Table 	1 	of 	the 	Appendix.
SOURCE: 	Appendix
- 	7 	-
To 	gain 	some 	perspective 	on 	the 	quantitative 	importance 	of
the 	gains 	to 	consumers 	in 	relation 	to 	the 	possible 	unemployment
costs 	to 	workers 	in 	the 	relevant 	industry, 	Dr. 	Tarr 	has 	also
calculated 	annual 	costs 	per 	job 	protected. 	For 	each 	job
protected 	by 	the 	current 	combined 	level 	of 	protection, 	consumers
lose 	about 	$83,000 	per 	year, 	while 	the 	United 	States 	economy
loses 	about 	$50,000 	per 	year. 	Examining 	the 	estimates 	for 	the
separate 	sectors 	of 	the 	industry 	reveals 	that 	the 	costs 	to 	the
economy 	per 	job 	are 	dramatically 	higher 	for 	the 	sector 	where
quota 	protection 	is 	employed 	than 	they 	are 	for 	the 	sector 	that
receives 	tariff 	protection. 	For 	example, 	the 	annual 	costs 	to 	the
economy 	per 	job 	are 	about 	$135,000 	for 	quota 	protection 	on
stainless 	steel 	bars 	and 	rods 	and 	alloy 	tool 	steel, 	but 	only
about 	$14,000 	for 	tariff 	protection 	on 	stainless 	steel 	sheet,
strip 	and 	plate. 	The 	main 	reason 	for 	this 	disparity 	is 	that, 	due
to 	restricted 	supply, 	quotas 	allow 	rents 	to 	be 	captured 	by
foreigners, 	whereas 	tariffs 	capture 	this 	amount 	as 	revenue 	for
the 	United 	States 	Treasury. 	These 	estimates, 	which 	are
summarized 	in 	Table 	2, 	provide 	further 	evidence 	of 	the 	highly
inefficient 	nature 	of 	allocating 	unauctioned 	quotas 	to
foreigners. 	That 	is, 	allowing 	foreign 	governments 	the 	right 	to
determine 	who 	exports 	to 	the 	United 	States 	under 	the 	quota,
rather 	than 	auctioning 	(or 	giving) 	that 	right 	or 	license 	to
United 	States 	citizens, 	results 	in 	significantly 	higher 	costs 	to
the 	United 	States. 5
5 	Dr. 	Tarr's 	analysis 	assumes 	the 	quotas 	are 	allocated 	to
foreigners 	and 	are 	not 	auctioned. 	The 	FTC 	has 	previously
Continued
- 	8 	-
TABLE 	2
ANNUAL 	COSTS 	TO 	CONSUMERS 	AND 	THE 	ECONOMY
FOR EACH 	JOB 	PROTECTED
Tariff 	Removal 	on 	Stainless 	Steel 	Sheet, 	Strip, 	and 	Plate
and 	Quota 	Removal 	on 	Stainless 	Steel 	Bars 	and 	Rods 	and
Alloy 	Tool 	Steel
(thousands 	of 	1986 	dollars)
SHEET, 	STRIP 	BARS, 	RODS 	&
COMBINED* 	& PLATE 	ALLOY TOOL 	STEEL
COSTS 	TO 	CONSUMERS 	82.6 	60.5 	128.5
PER JOB
COSTS 	TO 	THE 	ECONOMY 	49.7 	13.9 	134.7
PER JOB
*The 	estimates 	for 	the 	combined 	industry 	are 	a 	weighted 	average
of 	the 	estimates 	for 	the 	two 	sectors.
Source: 	Appendix
argued 	that 	import 	quotas, 	if 	they 	are 	imposed, 	should 	be
auctioned 	pursuant 	to 	19 	U.S.C. 	S 2581. 	Prehearing 	Brief 	on
Remedy 	in 	Carbon 	and 	Certain 	Alloy 	Steel 	Products, 	TA-20l-5l
(June 	1984) 	at 	13-14, 	25-27; 	Prehearing 	Brief 	in 	Nonrubber
Footwear, 	TA-20l-55 	(April 	1985) 	at 	15. 	The 	ITC 	recommended
such 	an 	auction 	in 	NonRubber 	Footwear, 	TA-20l-55 	(July
1985). 	Auctions 	have 	been 	used 	in 	Australia 	to 	partially
allocate 	import 	quotas 	on 	textiles, 	clothing, 	footwear, 	and
motor 	vehicles. 	·Selling 	Quotas,· 	National 	Journal 	(February
14, 	1987) 	at 	370-73; 	Industries 	Assistance 	Commission, 	Annual
Report 	1984-85 	(Canberra: 	Australian 	Government 	Publishing
Service, 	1985) 	at 	98-99. 	Even 	without 	an 	auction, 	the 	costs
to 	the 	United 	States 	economy 	would 	be 	reduced 	by 	the 	same
amount 	as 	through 	auctioning, 	if 	import 	licenses 	were
allocated 	to 	United 	States 	importers 	rather 	than 	foreigners.
- 	9 	-
.::.-
The 	estimates 	of 	costs 	per 	job 	do 	not 	include 	the 	costs 	of
providing 	a 	job 	that 	are 	borne 	by 	the 	employer. 	That 	is, 	they
exclude 	the 	wages 	and 	other 	costs 	of 	providing 	employment 	in 	an
industry. 	Moreover, 	they 	underestimate 	the 	cost 	per 	net 	job
saved, 	since 	they 	ignore 	the 	jobs 	lost 	elsewhere 	in 	the 	United
States 	because 	of 	the 	restrictions 	on 	specialty 	steel 	imports.
Since 	trade 	restrictions 	may 	not 	increase 	employment 	on 	an
economy-wide 	basis,6 	the 	jobs 	protected 	in 	stainless 	steel 	may 	be
lost 	elsewhere 	in 	the 	economy, 	and 	these 	estimates 	are 	to 	be
interpreted 	as 	the 	costs 	of 	providing 	employment 	in 	specialty
steel 	at 	the 	expense 	of 	employment 	elsewhere.
Dr. 	Tarr's 	cost 	estimates 	are 	also 	conservative 	in 	that 	he
assumes 	that 	the 	domestic 	specialty 	steel 	industry 	will 	be
competitive 	regardless 	of 	whether 	imports 	are 	restricted. 	As
discussed 	below, 	it 	is 	possible 	that 	restricting 	imports 	of
specialty 	steel 	by means 	of 	quotas 	may 	permit 	the 	domestic 	firms
to 	raise 	prices 	above 	their 	competitive 	levels, 	thereby 	imposing
additional 	costs 	on 	United 	States 	consumers 	and 	the 	economy.
II. 	Restricting 	imports 	by 	quotas 	may 	have 	an
adverse 	effect 	on 	competition.
In 	addition 	to 	the 	effects 	on 	consumers, 	the 	President 	is 	to
consider 	the 	effect 	of 	continued 	import 	relief 	won 	competition 	in
the 	domestic 	markets 	for 	such 	articles. w 	19 	U.S.C. 	S
6 	See 	M.E. 	Morkre 	and 	D.G. 	Tarr, 	Effects 	of 	Restrictions 	on
united 	States 	Imports: 	Five 	Case 	Studies 	and 	Theory 	(Bureau
of 	Economics 	Report 	to 	the 	FTC 	1980) 	at 	2-3; 	K. 	Clements 	and
L. 	Sjaastad, 	Bow 	Protection 	Taxes 	Exporters 	(London: 	Trade
Policy 	Research 	Centre 	1984).
- 	10
2252(c) (4). 	The 	ITC 	is 	to 	take 	this 	effect 	"into 	account" 	when
it 	advises 	the 	President. 	19 	U.S.C. 	S 	2253(i) (4). 	Petitioners
have 	not 	addressed 	this 	statutory 	criterion 	(pet. 	at 	30-32) 	even
though 	the 	ITC 	staff 	found 	in 	1983 	that 	"The 	speciality 	steel
industry 	• 	. . 	is 	highly 	concentrated, 	with 	a 	few 	producers
accounting 	for 	the 	bulk 	of 	shipments 	in 	each 	product 	line."
Stainless 	and 	Alloy 	Tool 	Steel, 	TA-20l-48 	(May 	1983) 	at 	A-14.
The 	ITC's 	assessment 	of 	the 	probable 	impact 	of 	import 	relief
on 	competition 	could 	proceed 	along 	the 	following 	lines:
1. 	The 	ITC 	would 	need 	first 	to 	make 	a 	determination 	of 	the
extent 	to 	which 	the 	industry 	is 	concentrated. 	Based 	on 	the
confidential 	data 	that 	it 	has 	collected, 	ITC 	staff 	should 	be 	able
to 	calculate 	market 	shares 	of 	the 	firms 	in 	the 	industry, 	from
~ 	which 	concentration 	measures 	can 	be 	determined. 	Since, 	in
fulfillment 	of 	its 	fact-finding 	role, 	the 	ITC 	staff 	found 	the
industry 	to 	be 	highly 	concentrated 	in 	1983, 	this 	kind 	of
determination 	has 	presumably 	already 	been 	done. 7 	It 	would 	merely
need 	to 	be 	updated. 	If 	the 	data 	reveal 	that 	there 	has 	been 	exit
from 	the 	industry 	without 	new 	entry, 	then 	the 	industry 	would 	be
more 	concentrated 	than 	it 	was 	found 	to 	be 	in 	1983.
7 	For 	the 	concentration 	figures 	to 	be 	most 	meaningful, 	they
should 	be 	calculated 	for 	a 	relevant 	product 	and 	geographic
market. 	For 	discussions 	of 	this 	concept, 	see 	Statement 	of
Federal 	Trade 	Commission 	Concerning 	Horizontal 	Mergers 	(June
14, 	1982) 	at 	S VI; 	Department 	of 	Justice, 	"1984 	Merger
Guidelines," 	49 	Fed. 	Reg. 	26823 	(June 	29, 	1984) 	at 	S 2; 	D. 	T.
Scheffman 	and 	P. 	T. 	Spiller, 	"Geographic 	Market 	Definition
Under 	the 	DOJ 	Guidelines," 	Journal 	of 	Law 	and 	Economics,
Forthcoming.
- 	11 	-
2. 	The 	ITC 	would 	need 	to 	assess 	the 	extent 	to 	which 	there
are 	barriers 	to 	entry 	that 	would 	prevent 	firms 	from 	entering 	the
market 	when 	prices 	exceed 	costs. 	This 	would 	include 	an
assessment 	of 	the 	likelihood 	of 	new 	entry 	by 	domestic 	firms 	in
the 	event 	that 	prices 	should 	rise. 	In 	this 	connection, 	we 	ask
that 	the 	ITC 	take 	special 	note 	of 	the 	differential 	impact 	on
competition 	that 	tariffs 	and 	quotas 	may 	have 	in 	a 	concentrated
industry.
The 	point 	is 	simply 	that 	while 	a 	tariff 	increases 	domestic
prices, 	domestic 	prices 	will 	increase 	at 	most 	by 	the 	amount 	of
the 	tariff, 	regardless 	of 	the 	actions 	of 	domestic 	producers. 	If
the 	domestic 	industry 	were 	very 	concentrated 	and 	domestic
producers 	sought 	to 	raise 	prices 	further 	by 	collusively 	reducing
output, 	they 	would 	be 	unsuccessful 	in 	raising 	prices 	by more 	than
the 	amount 	of 	the 	tariff 	because 	further 	price 	increases 	would
lead 	to 	large 	increases 	in 	imports. 	While 	import 	quotas 	also
increase 	domestic 	prices, 	quotas 	impose 	an 	absolute 	limit 	on
imports 	that 	does 	not 	depend 	on 	the 	domestic 	price 	level. 	For
this 	reason, 	the 	domestic 	price 	level 	in 	industries 	sUbject 	to
binding 	import 	quotas 	can 	be 	increased 	by 	the 	output 	decisions 	of
domestic 	producers. 	The 	imposition 	of 	import 	quotas 	on 	a
concentrated 	industry may 	therefore 	lead 	to 	strategic 	interaction
or 	successful 	collusion 	that 	will 	induce 	a 	greater 	output
reduction 	and 	domestic 	price 	increase 	than 	would 	occur 	in 	a
competitive 	industry. 	Thus, 	for 	concentrated 	industries, 	tariffs
have 	a 	much 	less 	adverse 	effect 	on 	competition 	than 	quotas. 	See
C.P. 	Kind1eberger, 	International 	Economics 	(1968) 	at 	130-134 	and
- 	12 	-
Appendix 	E: 	M.E. 	Morkre 	and 	D.G. 	Tarr, 	Effects 	of 	Restrictions 	on
United 	States 	Imports: 	Five 	Case 	Studies 	and 	Theory 	(Bureau 	of
Economics 	Report 	to 	the 	FTC 	1980) 	at 	28-31.
3. 	In 	addition 	to 	considering 	market 	concentration 	and
potential 	barriers 	to 	entry, 	the 	ITC 	should 	consider 	a 	number 	of
other 	factors 	(the 	rate 	of 	technological 	change, 	forms 	of
competition, 	etc.) 	that 	can 	affect 	the 	ability 	of 	domestic 	firms
to 	raise 	prices 	above 	marginal 	costs. 8 	Since 	high 	concentration
and 	entry 	barriers 	are 	not 	sufficient 	to 	reliably 	predict
anticompetitive 	behavior, 	an 	analysis 	of 	these 	other 	factors 	is
essential 	in 	reaching 	a 	determination 	concerning 	the 	likely
competitive 	effects 	of 	a 	tariff 	or 	quota. 9
8 	For 	an 	extensive 	list 	of 	factors 	that 	may 	affect 	the
likelihood 	of 	successful collusion, 	see 	Statement 	of 	Federal
Trade 	Commission 	Concerning 	Horizontal 	Mergers 	(June 	14,
1982) 	at 	5 	III: 	Department 	of 	Justice, 	"1984 	Merger
Guidelines," 	49 	Fed. 	Reg. 	26823 	(June 	29, 	1984) 	at 	55 	3.2-
3.45: 	and 	commentators 	such 	as 	F.M. 	Scherer, 	Industrial
Market 	Structure 	and 	Economic 	Performance, 	2d 	ed. 	(1980) 	at
chs. 	6 and 	7: 	R.A. 	Posner, 	Antitrust 	Law 	(1976) 	at 	55-61.
9 	We 	note 	that 	in 	1984 	the 	Department 	of 	Justice 	challenged 	a
domestic 	merger 	in 	a 	closely 	related 	product 	market 	of
stainless 	cold 	rolled 	sheet 	and 	strip. 	United 	States 	v. 	The
LTV Corp., 	49 	Fed. 	Reg. 	13603 	(April 	5, 	1984).
- 	13
Conclusion
For 	the 	reasons 	stated 	above, 	we 	suggest 	that 	the 	ITC 	find
that 	there 	is 	a 	cost 	to 	American 	consumers 	of 	restricting 	imports
and 	that 	the 	lTC, 	using 	its 	confidential 	data, 	employ 	the
Benjamin 	Cohen
Attorney
Bureau 	of 	Competition
(202) 	326-2949
Jeffrey 	I. 	Zuckerman
Director
Bureau 	of 	Competition
£.~~Edward 	F. 	Glynn, 	J
Assistant 	Director
(International
Antitrust)
Bureau 	of 	Competition
~~J.uKJ 	n A. 	Woodstock
eputy 	Assistant
Director
(International
Antitrust)
Bureau 	of 	Competition
~.~
Respectfully 	submitted 	on 	behalf
of 	the 	Federal 	Trade 	Commission,
William 	C. 	MacLeod
Director
Bureau 	of 	Consumer
Protection
Amanda 	B. 	Pederson
Deputy 	Director
Bureau 	of 	Consumer
Protection
methodology 	set 	forth 	above 	in 	analyzing 	the 	effects 	on
competition 	of 	restrieting 	imports 	of 	specialty 	steel.
Paul 	A. 	Pautler
Assistant 	Director
for 	Economic 	Policy
Analysis
Bureau 	of 	Economics
David 	T. 	Scheffman
Director
Bureau 	of 	Economics
David 	G. 	Tarr
Economist
Bureau 	of 	Economics
Mark 	W. 	Frankena
Deputy 	Director
for 	Economic 	Policy
Analysis
Bureau 	of 	Economics
.,._.
.;j;'
March 	27, 	1987
- 	14 	-
\--.
APPENDIX
COSTS TO CONSUMERS, 	COSTS TO THE ECONOMY AND COSTS PER JOB PROTECTED:
Effects of Extending Tariffs on Stainless Steel Sheet, 	Strip and Plate
and Quotas on Stainless Steel Bars and Rods and Alloy Tool Steel
. . DAVID G. 	TARR l
INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Recently 	the 	United 	Steelworkers 	of 	America 	and 	the 	Specialty 	Steel
Industry of the United States petitioned the United States International Trade
1 Dr. 	Tarr 	received 	his 	Ph. D. 	from 	Brown 	University 	in 	1970 	and 	before
joining 	the 	FTC 	served 	on 	the 	faculty 	of 	the 	Ohio 	State 	University. 	He 	has
authored a number of publications on the 	steel 	industry and on estimating the
costs 	and benefits 	of 	trade 	restrictions. 	These 	include: 	the 	FTC 	Staff Steel
Report, 	Bureau of Economics report to the FTC, 	1977 	(with others); 	The Effects
of 	Restrictions 	on United 	States 	Imports, 	Bureau 	of 	Economics 	report 	to 	the
FTC, 	1980 	(with 	Morris 	Morkre); 	A~~re~ate Costs 	to 	the 	United 	States 	of
Tariffs 	and Quotas 	on 	Imports, 	see 	attached references 	(with Morris Morkre);
"Cyclical 	Dumping: 	The 	Case 	of 	Steel 	Products," 	Journal 	of 	International
Economics, 	February 1979; 	"The 	Efficient Diffusion of Steel Technology Across
Nations," 	Journal 	of 	Public 	Policy, 	1985; 	"The 	Effects 	of Restraining Korean
and Other Steel Exports 	to 	the United States and the European Community," The
World 	Bank 	Economic 	Review, 	forthcoming. 	In 	addition, 	he 	has 	published
numerous 	articles 	in 	the 	leading 	economics 	journals 	including 	Econometrica,
The 	Review 	of 	Economic 	Studies, 	The 	Quarterly 	Journal 	of 	Economics, 	The
Southern Economic Journal and The Western Economic Journal.
He 	would 	like 	to 	acknowledge 	the 	helpful 	comments 	of Mark 	Frankena 	and
Paul Pautler.
~:.
Page 2
Commission (USITC or 	ITC) 	for an extension of relief under section 203 	of 	the
2
Trade 	Act 	of 1974. 	In 	that 	"Petition" 	they asked for 	continuation of 	relief
at a 	level no 	less 	than that which 	is currently in effect. 	When the 	President
granted relief, 	he 	granted a 	tariff surcharge on stainless steel sheet, 	strip
and 	plate 	(which 	is 	currently 	at 	the 	level 	of 	4 	percent) 	and 	quotas 	on
stainless 	steel bars· and rods 	and alloy 	tool 	steel. 3 In 	this 	paper 	the 	gains
to 	US 	consumers 	and 	the 	US 	economy 	of 	allowing 	the 	tariffs 	and 	quotas 	to
expire 	as 	scheduled 	are 	estimated. 	These 	gains 	are 	estimated 	separately 	for
removing 	the 	current 	4 	percent 	level 	of 	tariff 	surcharge 	on 	stainless 	steel
sheet, 	strip and plate and for removing the quotas on stainless steel bars and
rods 	and 	alloy 	tool 	steel. 	The 	separate 	estimates 	are 	combined 	to 	arrive 	at
aggregate 	gains 	to 	consumers 	and 	the 	economy 	from 	allowing 	the 	protection 	to
2 Stainless 	Steel 	and 	Alloy 	Tool 	Steel 	Petition 	for 	Extension 	of 	Import
Relief 	Pursuant 	to 	Section 	203 	of 	the 	Trade 	Act 	of 	1974, 	on 	behalf 	of 	the
Specialty 	Steel 	Industry of 	the 	United States 	and 	the United Steelworkers 	of
America, 	January 14, 	1987 	(the Petition).
3 Federal Register, 	July 7, 	1983, 	pp.3l177, 	31178.
Page 3
4
expire.
The 	annual 	gains 	to 	US 	consumers 	of 	not 	extending 	the 	relief .to 	either
sector 	of 	the 	industry 	is 	$44.3 	million; 	the 	annual 	gains 	to 	the 	US 	economy
are 	$26.6 	million. 	A significant 	portion 	of 	the 	gains 	to 	the 	economy, 	which
are 	also 	gains 	to 	US 	consumers, 	is 	$21.2 	million 	in 	quota 	rents 	that 	are
recaptured 	from 	forelgners. 	Part 	of what US 	consumers 	gain 	is 	taken 	from 	US
and foreign producers of these products. 	Domestic producers stand to lose $9.7
million 	from 	termination 	of 	the 	relief, 	while 	foreigners 	will 	lose 	$21.2
million from removal of the quotas on stainless steel bars and rods 	and alloy
tool 	steel. 	In 	addition, 	as 	explained 	in 	section 	III, 	the 	removal 	of 	the
protection will 	result 	in changes 	in 	tariff 	revenue 	to 	the 	government 	and 	a
4The 	Petition 	seeks 	to 	extend 	tariffs 	on 	flat 	rolled 	stainless 	steel
products, 	despite 	the 	fact 	that 	it 	acknowledges 	that 	the 	President's 	program
for 	the 	overall steel 	industry of voluntary restraint aggreements 	(VRAs) 	with
18 	nations 	or 	regions, 	covers 	flat 	rolled 	specialty 	steel 	products 	(namely.
stainless 	steel sheet, 	strip and plate). 	It asks 	for 	the extension because 	it
alleges 	that 	since 	the 	VRAs 	did 	not 	provide 	separate 	restraint 	levels 	for
stainless 	steel 	flat 	products, 	they have 	provided only 	limited effectiveness
for 	these 	products 	(presumably due 	to 	product upgrading problems). 	Moreover,
it 	alleges 	that 	some 	important suppliers 	of stainless steel products were not
covered by the agreements. 	Based on this allegation by the Petition, 	the model
assumes 	that 	VRAs 	do 	not 	represent 	a 	binding 	restraint 	on 	stainless 	flat
products.
In 	the 	event 	that 	this 	allegation by 	the 	Petition 	is 	not 	accurate, 	and
the 	VRAs 	do 	represent 	a 	binding restraint on 	imports 	of stainless 	steel 	flat
products 	(even in the presence of the current four percent 	tariff surcharge),
then 	the 	estimates 	of 	this 	paper 	for 	flat 	rolled 	products 	would 	not 	apply.
Instead, 	removal 	of the 	tariff on stainless 	flat 	rolled products would r •• ult
in 	no 	gains 	to 	consumers 	and 	no 	jobs 	lost. 	Moreover, 	removal 	of 	the 	tariff
would 	result 	in 	a 	.l.2ll. 	to 	the 	economy 	of 	$11.4 	million. 	This 	is 	the 	tariff
surcharge 	revenue 	on 	flat 	products; 	it would be 	transferred 	to 	for.ianer • 	••
additional quota rents.
With the exception of the European Community, 	the VRAs essentially do not
cover 	stainless 	steel bars 	and rods 	and alloy 	tool 	steel. 	Thus, 	the VIA. 	ar.
not a binding restraint for 	this portion of the industry and the .,tla-t •• for
this section of the industry are not affected by them.
': ~- -.~.: .-.- .
Page 4
possible 	"terms of trade" 	loss. 	The estimates 	for 	each sector of the 	industry
and the combined estimates are summarized in table 1.
In order 	to 	gain some 	perspective 	on 	the 	quantitative 	importance 	of 	the
gains 	to 	consumers 	in relation 	to 	the 	possible 	unemployment 	costs 	to 	workers
in 	the 	relevant 	industry, 	we 	have 	also 	calculated 	costs 	per 	year 	per 	job
protected. 	For each job protected by the current combined level of protection,
consumers 	lose 	$82,600 	per 	year 	and 	the 	economy 	loses 	$49,700 	per 	year.
Examining 	the 	separate 	sectors 	of the 	industry reveals 	that 	the 	costs 	to 	the
economy per 	job 	are 	dramatically higher 	for 	quota 	protection 	than 	they 	are
for 	tariff 	protection. 	In 	particular, 	the 	costs 	to 	the 	economy 	per 	job 	are
$134,700 for 	quota protection on stainless 	steel bars and rods and alloy 	tool
steel, 	but only $13,900 	for 	tariff protection on stainless 	steel sheet, 	strip
and 	plate. 	The 	main 	reason 	is 	that 	quotas 	allow 	rents 	to 	be 	captured 	by
foreigners, 	whereas 	tariffs 	capture 	this 	amount 	as 	revenue 	for 	the 	US
Treasury. 	These estimates are summarized in table 2.
The costs per job estimates do not include the private costs of providing
a job. 	That is, 	they exclude the wages and other costs of providing employment
in 	an 	industry. 	Moreover, 	trade 	restrictions 	cannot 	be 	expected 	to 	increase
employment on an economy-wide basis. 	Thus, 	the jobs protected in stainless and
alloy tool steel are likely lost elsewhere in the economy, 	and these estimates
are 	to 	be 	interpreted 	as 	the 	costs 	of 	providing 	employment 	in 	steel 	at 	the
expense of employment elsewhere.
For a number of reasons, 	the estimates may be considered an underestimate
of the 	full 	costs 	to 	the economy. 	For example, 	no adjustment was made 	for 	the
possibility of monopoly restriction of output with a quota in place. 	With a
';'i'
:.-"
:.-'
Page 5
TABLE 1
ESTIMATED ANNUAL GAINS TO CONSUMERS AND THE ECONOMY
FROM REMOVAL OF THE TARIFFS AND QUOTAS:
. .Tariff Removal on Stainless Steel Sheet, 	Strip and Plate
and Quota Removal on Stainless Steel Bars and RQds and Alloy Tool Steel
in millions of 1986 dollars
SHEET, 	STRIP 	BARS & RODS &
COMBINED 	& PLATE 	ALLOY TOOL STEEL
1. 	GAINS TO CONSUMERS 	44.3 	21. 9 	22.4
2. 	Losses of Domestic 	9.7 	9.6 	0.1
Producers
3. 	Recaptured Quota 	21.2 	0 	21. 2
Rents From Foreigners
4. 	Reduction in Tariff 	11.4 	11.4 	0
Surcharge Revenue
5. 	Increase in Revenue 	5.3 	4.1 	1.2
From Base Tariffs
6. 	Terms of Trade Loss 	1.9 	1.8 	0.1
*	7. 	GAINS TO THE ECONOMY 	26.6 	3.2 	23.4
*For any column, 	gains to the economy (7) 	are calculated from elements 	in
the 	same 	column 	in 	the 	above 	rows. 	In 	particular, 	gains 	to 	the 	economy 	are
equal 	to 	1 	- 	2 	- 	4 	+ 	5 	- 	6. 	Item 	3 	is 	a 	gain 	to 	both 	consumers 	and 	the
economy, 	and 	is 	therefore 	not 	deducted 	from 	1 	to 	arrive 	at 	7. 	Items 	in 	the
column 	labelled combined are 	obtained by adding 	the 	two 	elements 	in 	the 	same
row 	that 	are 	in 	the 	middle 	and 	right 	hand 	columns. 	Due 	to 	rounding, 	the
totals, 	either down a 	column or across 	a 	row, 	may differ 	from 	the 	sum of 	the
entries 	in the columns relevant to the 	total.
SOURCE: 	Author's calculations.
Page 6
TABLE 2
ANNUAL COSTS TO CONSUMERS AND THE ECONOMY
. . FOR EACH JOB PROTECTED:
Tariff Removal on Stainless Steel Sheet, 	Strip and Plate
and Quota Removal on Stainless Steel Bars and Rods and Alloy Tool Steel
in thousands of 1986 dollars
*The 	estimates 	for 	the 	combined 	industry 	are 	a 	weighted 	average 	of 	the
estimates for the two sectors. 	See section IV for the details.
COSTS TO CONSUMERS
PER JOB
COSTS TO THE ECONOMY
PER JOB
*	COMBINED
82.6
49.7
SHEET, 	STRIP
& PLATE
60.5
13.9
BARS, 	RODS &
ALLOY TOOL STEEL
128.5
134.7
SOURCE: 	Author's calculations.
\
~ .
.• ,:0.
Page 7
quota 	in 	place, 	the 	domestic 	industry 	can 	increase 	its 	profits 	if 	it 	can
restrict 	its 	output 	below 	the 	competitive 	level. 	If 	it 	does 	so, 	there 	are
additional 	costs 	to 	consumers 	and 	the 	economy. 	In 	addition, 	there 	would 	be
fewer 	jobs 	protected. S 	This 	would 	substantially 	increase 	the 	estimates 	of
costs 	per job prot~~ed. Moreover, 	as 	explained 	in section 	III, 	the 	terms 	of
trade 	adjustment methodology has 	overestimated 	the 	terms 	of 	trade 	adjustment
costs, 	which results 	in an underestimate of the gains to the economy.
II. MODEL AND ASSUMPTIONS
Differentiated Products
The most reasonable assumption regarding steel products 	appears 	to be 	to
treat 	foreign 	and domestic 	steel 	as 	differentiated products. 	Jondrow, 	~ 	al.
(1982) 	have 	documented a 	number 	of 	reasons 	for 	treating 	foreign 	and 	domestic
steel 	differently. 	They observe 	that foreign steel must be ordered further 	in
advance 	and 	one 	must 	await 	delivery. 	This 	implies 	greater 	inventory 	costs
associated 	with 	foreign 	steel. 	Moreover, 	they 	argue 	that 	domestic 	suppliers
implicitly 	offer 	greater 	security 	of 	supply. 	Additionally, 	the 	econometric
estimates 	of 	Crandall 	(1981) 	argue 	for 	the 	acceptance 	of 	a 	differentiated
product model.
In 	addition 	to 	treating 	foreign 	and 	domestic 	steel 	as 	differentiated
SIn 	fact, 	Corden 	(1971, 	pp. 	203-206) 	has 	shown 	that 	if 	a 	domestic
monopoly 	exists 	and 	if 	the 	quota 	is 	equal 	to 	the 	original 	imports, 	then
domestic output and employment will necessarily fall; 	this 	is because there 	is
only the monopoly restriction effect and no import substitution effect.
Page 8
products, 	it 	is 	best 	to 	treat stainless steel 	sheet, 	strip and plate products
(referred to 	as 	flat 	products), 	as 	differentiated 	from 	the 	other products 	in
6
the 	ITe proceeding. 	The 	President, 	"In recognition of the weaker competitive
position 	of 	the 	stainless 	steel 	rod, 	bar 	and 	alloy 	tool 	steel 	sectors ... ,"
granted 	quotas 	to 	this 	section 	of 	the 	industry, 	and 	tariffs 	on 	stainless
•• 	7
sheet, 	strip and plate. 	Given that the relief is differentiated by section of
the 	industry, 	the costs 	to 	the economy can best be 	estimated by following 	the
Presidential 	determination regarding 	industry structure. 	We will 	estimate 	the
appropriate welfare costs for each sector of the industry separately, 	and then
aggregate 	the cost estimates 	to obtain the welfare estimates 	for 	the 	combined
industry.
Model Specification
The model 	is 	depicted graphically in figure 	1. 	Panel A is 	the market for
the 	domestic 	good 	and 	panel 	B 	is 	the 	market 	for 	the 	imported 	product. 	A
separate figure would apply for flat and non-flat products. 	The figure depicts
a 	quota, 	so 	it would apply to non-flat products. 	We adopt 	the convention that
upper case 	letters 	represent domestic variables 	and lower case 	letters 	denote
import variables. 	Also 	the 	subscript 	refers 	to 	the 	initial 	equilibrium and
o
the 	subscript 	1 	refers 	to 	the 	equilibrium 	after 	the 	change 	in 	the 	policy
action (such as removing a quota). 	We use Ps and Qs for prices and quantities,
6 The 	"other" 	products 	in 	the 	proceeding 	are 	stainless 	steel 	rods 	and
bars, 	and alloy 	tool 	steel. 	Despite 	the 	fact 	that 	alloy 	tool 	steel 	comes 	in
flat 	varieties, 	for 	convenience 	of 	expression 	the 	other 	products 	will 	be
referred to as non-flat products.
7Federal Resister, 	July 7, 	1983, 	p.31l77.
FIGURE 1
Effect of Removing a Quota on a Differentiated
Import Product With a Rising Domestic Supply Curve
Price
Panel A
Domestic Steel Price
,
,
Panel B
Imported Steel
0 1 (no quota)
do (with quota)
d 1 (no quota)
Quantity (imports)	q1	qo
d1
Po
PII 	! 	1"S:$:Ps(ltl b )
Ps 	I' 	"'<
I
•
S
I
I
I
I
I
Q o 	Quantity
(domestic)
Q 1
Po
PloS
" .. '
Page 9
respectively; 	thus, 	for 	example, 	P 	refers 	to a 	domestic price 	in the 	initial
o
equilibrium, 	and 	ql 	refers 	to 	an 	imported 	quantity 	after 	the 	removal 	of 	the
quota or tariff.
Since 	the 	demand curves 	are 	related, 	demand depends 	on 	the 	price 	of 	the
competing good, 	as\well as having the usual own price dependence. 	That is, 	the
. .price 	of 	the 	competing 	good 	is 	a 	parameter 	in 	the 	demand 	curve 	for 	the
8
domestic good and conversely.
To 	explicitly model 	these 	interactive 	effects 	requires 	specification 	of
demand 	equations 	for 	both 	goods, 	a 	supply 	equation, 	and 	in 	the 	case 	of 	a
quota, 	the price at which the 	imported good would be 	supplied. 	First consider
the 	case of flat 	products, 	which are subject to a 	temporary 	tariff surcharge.
The following specification is assumed:
(1) 	In(Q) - 	a + e l In(P) + e Z In(p) 	(demand for domestic steel)
(2) 	In(q) - 	b + e 3 In(P) + e 4 In(p) 	(demand for 	imported steel)
(3) 	In(Q) - 	c + e 	In(P) 	(supply of domestic steel)
5
(4) 	s(q) 	p 	(1 + ~)(l + t 	) 	(supply price of imported steel).
s 	s
Equations 	land 	2 	are 	the 	demand 	curves 	for 	the 	domestic 	and 	imported
goods, 	respectively. 	Equation 3 is 	the 	supply curve 	for 	the 	domestic product.
The 	coefficients e l and e4 are 	the 	own elasticities 	of demand, 	e 2 and e 3 are
cross 	elasticities 	of demand, 	and e S is 	the 	elasticity of 	supply. 	Equation 4
states 	that 	the 	price 	at 	which 	the 	imported 	good 	is 	supplied 	is
ps(l + ~)(l + t s )' 	where 	Ps 	is 	the 	delivered 	price 	of 	imports 	excluding
tariffs, 	~ 	is 	the 	base 	tariff 	rate 	in effect 	for 	these 	products, 	and 	t s is
8 This model is explained in more detail in Tarr and Morkre 	(1984).
Page 10
the 	temporary tariff surcharge
the 9 If	final year of relief) 	.
then equation 4 reduces 	to:
*	(4 	) 	s(q) 	ps(l+~).
ordered by the President 	(equal 	to 4 percent 	in
the temporary tariff surcharge 	is not extended,
Now consider 	the non-flat products. 	Although 	the 	actual 	elasticities may
~ .
. .
differ, 	the 	form 	of 	equations 	I, 	2 	and 	3 	are 	unaltered. 	Since 	non- flat
Elasticity Assumptions
following:
f(p) 	- 	qo
Equation 4 	states 	that 	if 	imports 	are 	limited to 	q 	, 	then exactly q 	will 	be
o 	0
products 	are 	subject 	to 	quotas, 	however, 	equation 	4 	would 	change 	to 	the
imported at any price, 	provided the price exceeds 	or equals 	the 	import supply
price of ps(l + ~).
(4)
The best estimates 	of demand elasticities 	(the eis 	in equations 	1 and 	2)
for 	finished 	steel 	products 	are 	from Robert 	Crandall 	(1981, 	pp. 	180,181). 	We
averaged the 	two-stage least squares estimates of demand elasticities for 	flat
products 	(cold rolled sheet and plate) 	that were 	available 	from 	this 	source;
9 Since 	tariffs 	are 	levied 	on 	customs 	value 	only, 	the 	full 	version 	of
equation 4 	is: 	s(q) 	- 	p 	(1 + L )(1 + t 	) + D, 	where D is 	charges 	related 	tos 	-b 	s
delivering 	the 	product 	to 	the 	US 	on 	which 	tariffs 	are 	not 	levied. 	Theu
charges 	include 	transportation, 	insurance and some brokerage 	fees, 	which must
be added to arrive at the delivered tariff inclusive price on imports. 	Since 0
has 	the 	same 	value 	whether 	a 	tariff 	exists 	or 	not, 	the 	specific 	value 	of 	D
does 	not 	affect 	the 	estimates; 	thus, 	without 	loss 	of generality, 	we 	delete 	0
from the equation to simplify the notation.
Page 11
since no estimate of rod elasticities 'was available, 	we used the estimates of
demand 	elasticities 	for 	bar 	products 	as 	our 	estimate 	of 	elasticities 	for
10
non- flat 	products. 	These 	estimates 	are 	summarized 	in 	equations 	I' 	and 	2'
below.
Regarding 	the 	supply 	elasticities, 	we 	are 	considering 	a 	period 	of
temporary 	relief, . .so 	less 	than 	long-run 	elasticities 	are 	appropriate.
,.
,
~,...
L-.-
~-' ..
K
I:.
1
rtt'
Iit::;;.
\,
Accordingly, 	the 	elasticities 	will 	be 	dependent 	on 	the 	level 	of 	capacity
utilization. 	Based 	on 	data 	in 	various 	ITC 	publications, 	it 	is 	possible 	to
calculate 	capacity 	utilization 	rates 	separately 	for 	the 	flat 	and 	non-flat
11
sectors 	of 	the 	industry. 	These 	data 	reveal 	that 	capacity utilization 	rates
in 	1985 	for 	the 	flat 	and 	non-flat 	sectors 	were 	86 	and 	52 	percent,
respectively. 	Accordingly, 	the 	supply 	elasticity 	for 	the 	non-flat 	sector
should be 	taken 	to be 	quite high, 	as 	output can expand 	significantly 	(within
the 	range 	of 	outputs 	being 	considered) 	without 	impinging 	on 	capacity, 	while
the 	supply 	elasticity 	for 	the 	flat 	sector 	must 	be 	considerably 	lower. 	In
particular, 	we 	take 	the supply elacticity of the flat sector to be 5, 	and the
supply elasticity of the non-flat sector to be 100.
10The 	cross-elasticity 	of 	demand 	of US 	consumers 	for 	imported 	non-flat
(bar) 	products 	with 	respect 	to 	a 	change 	in 	the 	price 	of 	domestic 	non-flat
(bar) 	products was 	taken to be 	.4. 	Crandall's estimate for 	this paramater was
not 	statistically 	different 	from 	zero. 	We 	have 	not 	used 	Crandall's 	estimate
for 	this parameter because our assessment 	is 	that these 	imported and domestic
products do substitute for each other, 	at least to some extent.
We have 	done 	a 	sensitivity analysis with one 	significantly higher value
for this cross-elasticity, 	namely a value of 1.8, 	and found that the estimates
are 	not very 	sensitive 	to 	this 	alternate 	specification. 	As 	a 	result 	of using
this 	alternate 	cross-elasticity, 	the values 	in 	table 	1 are unchanged and 	the
values 	in table 2 change by, 	at most, 	one hundred dollars per job.
11See 	USITC 	publication 	1821 	(Annual 	Survey 	on 	Certain 	Stainless 	Steel
and 	Alloy 	Tool 	Steel, 	March 	1986) 	for 	capacity 	data, 	and 	USITC 	publication
1908 	(Quarterly 	Survey 	on 	Certain 	Stainless 	Steel 	and 	Alloy 	Tool 	Steel,
November 1986) 	for production data.
\
Page 12
Substituting 	the 	assumed 	elasticity 	values 	into 	equations 	1·4 	for 	the
flat products sector yields:
(1') 	In(Q) 	a 	• 1.65 In(P) + 	.93 1n(p) 	(demand for domestic flat products)
(2') 	In(q) - 	b + 4 In(P) 	- 4.5 In(p)
(3') 	In(Q) - 	c + 5 In(P)
(demand for 	imported flat products)
(supply of domestic flat products)
(4' ) 	s(q) 	- 	p 	(1 +-.094)(1 + .04)
s (import supply price of flat products)
In 	equation 	4' 	we 	have 	substituted 	9.4 	percent 	for 	the 	base 	tariff 	rate 	on
flat products. 	This 	is an average of the applicable duty rates on the relevant
products, 	taken 	from 	the 	Tariff 	Schedule 	of 	the 	United 	States. 	We 	have
substituted 4 	percent 	as 	the 	temporary 	tariff surcharge, 	because 	this 	is 	the
tariff 	rate 	that 	is 	currently 	in 	effect, 	and 	the 	Petition 	asks 	for 	a
continuation of relief such 	that 	Rthe 	level 	of relief should be no 	less 	than
12
the level currently in effect. R
In the case of non-flat products, 	we have:
the applicable duty rates on the relevant products, 	for 	the base tariff rate.
where 	in equation 4' 	we have substituted 5.6 percent, 	which is 	the average of
12 See the Petition at page 33.
non-flat products)
non-flat products)
of non-flat products)
(demand for domestic
(demand for 	imported
(import supply price
(supply of domestic non-flat products)
>p - 	p 	(l + 	.056)s
f(p) 	- 	qo
(4' )
(1') 	In(Q) - 	a 	- 1.3 In(P) + .63 In(p)
(2') 	In(q) - 	b + .4 In(P) 	- 1.09 In(p)
(3') 	In(Q) - 	c + 100 In(P)
Page 13
Selection of Base Year Prices and Quantities
We selected 1985 	as 	the 	base year, 	since 	it 	is 	the most 	recent 	calendar
year 	for 	which we 	had 	data. 	The 	price 	and 	quantity 	data 	for 	this 	year 	were
obtained as follows.
As mentioned above, 	we divided the industry into sectors we call flat and
. .non-flat. 	Quantity 	data 	on 	the 	products 	in 	this 	proceeding 	are 	published 	in
USITC 	quarterly 	surveys 	of 	the 	industry 	(in 	particular, 	USITC 	publication
1908). 	These 	data 	can 	be 	aggregated 	into 	flat 	and 	non-flat 	categories.
Subtracting 	exports 	from 	domestic 	shipments 	yields 	domestic 	production 	for
domestic consumption, 	which is 	the desired Q 	in equations 	1-4. 	Then domestic
o
production in the initial equilibrium of flat and non-flat products 	is 898,191
and 	228,425 	thousand short 	tons, 	respectively. 	From 	the 	same 	source, 	imports
of 	flat 	and non-flat 	products 	in 	the 	initial 	year 	of 	1985, 	q 	, 	were 	146,976
o
and 79,701 thousand short tons, 	respectively. 	Thus, 	equation 4' 	is:
(4' ) 	f(p) 	- 	79,701 >p - 	p 	(1 + .056).s
Price information was also obtained from the above mentioned ITC sources.
A weighted 	average 	of 	the 	prices 	of 	the 	subproducts 	in 	the 	categories 	was
developed 	to 	obtain 	prices 	in 	the 	initial 	equilibrium. 	The 	prices 	of 	flat
products 	are 	$1922.63 	and 	$2012.78 	per 	short 	ton, 	for 	domestic 	and 	imported
products, 	respectively; 	the 	prices 	of 	non-flat 	products 	are 	$3260.71 	and
$3284.88 per short ton, 	for domestic and imported products, 	respectively.
The Estimated New Equilibrium
Solving separately for the flat and non-flat products, we 	take the prices
and 	quantities 	observed 	in 	1985 	as 	equilibrium 	values 	for 	the 	system 	of
Page 14
equations 1'-4'. 	One may substitute these particular price and quantity vAlu~~
into 	equations 	1'-3', 	leaving three 	equations 	in 	three unknowns: 	a. 	band 	c
Solving these equations yields: 	(for flat products)
f 	~
and c 	- 	-24.099; 	and (for non-flat products) 	a 	-
c nf _ -796.632.
f 	f
a 	- 	19.1098, b 	- 	15.8849
nf
17.7544, 	b 	- 	16.8760 and
Flat Products.'tf the tariff surcharge 	is allowed to expire as scheduled,
*	then equation 4 would no longer apply; 	rather equation 4 	would determine 	the
Non-Flat 	Products. 	If 	the 	quotas 	on 	non-flat 	products 	are 	allowed 	to
equilibrium 	after 	the 	removal 	of 	the 	tariff 	surcharge. 	These 	values 	are:
the 	new 	price 	for 	non-flat 	products 	would 	equal
The problem for us 	is 	to 	determine 	Pl' 	the 	price 	at which 	imports would
be 	supplied 	in the 	absence 	of quotas. 	For 	this we 	examined 	the 	export prices
In 	particular,
would be determined from an equation analogous 	to 	that 	for 	the 	flat products.
expire 	then equation 4 would no 	longer apply. 	Rather 	the 	import 	supply price
import supply price. 	In particular, we have s{q) - 	ps{l + .094) - 	Pl' 	Since we
have 	the 	value 	of 	p 	from 	the 	initial 	equilibrium, 	and 	p 	is 	equal 	to
o 	0
PI (1 + 	.04), 	Pl 	is 	easily 	obtained. 	In 	particular, 	P1 - 	$1935.36 	per 	short
f 	f 	f
ton. 	Substituting 	this 	value 	for 	P1 	and 	the 	values 	for 	a 	,b 	and 	c 	into
equations 	1'-3' 	and 	solving, 	yields 	the 	solution 	for 	the 	estimated 	new
(PI - 	$1912.12, 	Q1 - 	873,893); 	(P1 - 	$1935.36, 	ql - 	171,541), 	where 	the 	units
are 	in short tons. 	The solution is depicted in figure 	2.
of Japanese 	(the leading exporter to the US) bars and rods. 	A weighted average
. price of stainless, 	heat 	resisting and alloy tool steel bars and rods 	(f.o.b.
Japan) 	was 	obtained 	from 	Japanese 	customs 	data. 	This 	weighted 	average 	was
\
""'i(':r;;;pi~t!'~~~f,~r~:-:~W?i,t~("':'~~~~~.:;;llt'~:.:'~~~~'~'.;O;-:~~?"'~')'ii"~Yi~~:~~~~·''''f..:-IT'~''':'' '<;"'''~''. 'I ~ •. , /'1" ,'••
FIGURE 2
Estimated Effect of Removing Tariffs on
Stainless Steel Sheet, Strip and Plate.
Panel A
Domestic Steel
R
I" 	.. 	seq) =Ps (1.094) (1.04)
S
Panel B
Imported Steel-
°1 	$19351 	C"""'ls;:: 	s(q)=p 	(1.094)	(no tori") 	, 	T 	~ 	s
$1769 	• 	<: 	s(q)=p s
do (with tori")
d 1 (no tori")
,
•
•I
I,,I
I
•
•
S
Price
Per
Ton
$1923
$1912
873,893 	898,191 	146,976 	171,541 	Quantity (tons)
Quantity (tons)
Figures or. not drown to scol•.
Source: Author's calculatlons.
Page 15
constructed for 	both Japanese 	shipments 	to 	the 	US 	and 	for 	Japanese 	shipments
to 	everywhere 	except 	the US. 	The 	data 	revealed 	that 	in 1985, 	Japanese 	prices
of 	these 	products 	to 	the 	US 	were 	30.3 	percent 	higher 	than 	their 	prices 	of
these 	products 	to 	the 	rest 	of 	the 	world. 	It 	may be 	the 	case, 	however, 	that
Japanese 	products 	shipped 	to 	the US 	are 	of higher 	quality 	than 	those 	shipped
elsewhere. 	To adjust for 	this product differentiation possibility, 	we examined
Japanese 	prices 	in 	1982, 	the 	last 	full 	year 	before 	the 	quotas 	at 	issue 	went
into 	effect. 	In 1982, 	Japanese 	prices 	to 	the 	US 	of 	these 	products 	were 	19.7
percent higher 	than 	their prices 	of these 	products 	to 	the 	rest 	of the world.
We 	assume 	that 	the 	19.7 	percent 	premium 	in 	1982 	reflects 	product 	qual! ty
differences 	that continue 	to prevail 	in 1985. 	Thus, 	if PU is 	the Japanese 	fob
price of stainless bars and rods and alloy tool steel bound for the US, 	and PR
is 	the 	Japanese 	fob 	price 	of 	comparable 	products 	to 	the 	rest 	of 	the 	world,
then 	without 	a 	quota 	we 	would have 	had 	in 	1985, 	P~q - 	(1.197)PR 	(where 	the
13
superscript nq denotes no quota).
Due 	to 	the quota, 	however, 	we observe 	that 	in 1985 we had pri - 	(1.303)P R
(where the superscript q denotes with quota). 	For the product to enter the US,
however, 	the 	importer 	must 	pay 	the 	import 	duty. 	Thus, 	exclusive 	of 	delivery
charges, 	the 	initial price 	in the US, 	p 	, 	is 	equal 	to 	the 	price 	at which 	the
o
13Japanese 	customs 	data 	are 	reported 	in 	Japanese 	yen. 	Thus, 	currency
fluctuations 	between 	the 	yen 	and 	the 	dollar 	will 	not 	affect 	these
calculations. 	The data are 	taken from: 	Japan Exports and Imports. 	COmmodity by
Country, 	ed. 	by 	Customs 	Bureau 	of 	the 	Japanese 	Ministry 	of 	Finance, 	Tokyo:
Japan Tariff Association, 	December 1982 and December 1985.
The Japanese 	customs 	data 	that were examined for 	this comparison were 	at
the 	7 	digit 	level, 	i.e., 	the 	most 	disaggregated 	level 	possible. 	Thus,
possibilities for product upgrading within a product group are minimized.
product 	leaves 	Japan 	plus 	the 	tariff 	on 	the 	product, 	i.e. ,
\
Page 16
p 	- 	(1.303)(1.056)p 	- 	(1.056)p~. 	If the quota is removed, 	however, 	the price
0 	s
will 	be 	lowered 	to 	Pl - 	(1.056)(1.197)ps - 	(1.OS6)p~q. 	Then
p/po 	(1.197)/(1. 303) 	.919; 	or 	Pl - 	(.9l9)po· 	Thus, 	we 	take 	the 	import
supply 	price 	after 	quota 	removal 	to 	be 	91.9 	percent 	of 	its 	value 	in 	the
initial 	equilibrium, 	i.e., 	Pl - 	$3018.48. 	We may 	substitute 	this 	value 	of Pl
• • 	nf
into 	equations 	l' -3', 	along 	with 	the 	solved values 	of 	a 	b nf and nf
c 	Ye
have 	three 	equations 	in 	three 	unknowns, 	which 	when 	solved 	yields 	the 	new
equilibrium of: 	(P l - 	$3259.06, 	Ql - 	216,720); 	and (Pl - 	$3018.48, 	ql 	87,380
, where the units are in short tons. 	The solution is depicted in figure 	3.
III. 	THE GAINS TO CONSUMERS AND THE ECONOMY
FROM TARIFF AND QUOTA REMOVAL
Gains 	to Consumers and the Economy
estimate 	of the 	reduction 	in consumers' 	surplus 	as 	a 	measure 	of the value 	of
The 	analysis 	of 	costs 	to 	consumers 	and 	the 	economy 	begins 	with 	an
14
losses 	from 	the 	imposition 	of 	the 	tariff. 	How 	to 	estimate 	the
change 	in 	consumers' 	surplus 	is 	not 	immediately 	obvious 	since 	two 	markets
consumers'
(domestic 	and 	imports), 	not 	just one, 	are 	involved and 	the 	demand 	curves 	in
both markets 	have 	changed. 	The methodology of Burns 	(1973), 	however, 	applies
precisely 	to 	this 	situation, 	and 	the 	Burns 	analysis 	is 	employed below. 	As 	a
result of the quota, 	the 	lost consumers' 	surplus 	is 	equal 	to 	the 	sum of 	four
areas: 	rectangle 	1 	plus 	triangle 	II 	in 	panel 	A, 	plus 	the 	rectangle 	Rand
l4Yillig 	(1976) 	has 	shown that this measure 	is a 	good measure of welfare
changes.
,,~_~~~3~~!!,ii.,.+..h.,i,~'W'¥i;;'';;'., I... @1,~I\J:I,J1JJI",IIt~~~I>~~~(~Z\.'*'W""(··'·'("'i1';If'!'x 1<*."!'pi"'''''''!~~'~'~:'''''''~''''''"'' ":'~-;"
FIGURE 3
Estimated Effect of Removing Quotas on
Stainless Steel Bars and Rods and Alloy Tool Steel.
Price
Per
Ton
Panel A
Domestic Steel 	Price
Per
S· Ton
Panel B .Imported Steel •
Quantity
(tons)
79,701 	87,380
R
do
I
S3285' d 1
Do
(with quotas)
I 	0 1
I 	(noquotos) $3018 	s(q)=Pl=P (1.056)
I 	s
I 	$2859 	s(q)=p
Ids
I 	d 	a, 	1 	(with quotos)
, 	(no quotas)
I
I
216,720 	228,425 	Quantity
(tons)
S
0 1
$3261
$3259
FIgur.. are not drown to teol•.
Source: A~·' calculation•.
Page 17
triangle DW in panel B.
Define deadweight losses as:
(5) 	DWL - 	~cs + ~PS + ~T
where 	~cs - 	change 	in consumers' 	surplus, 	~PS - 	change 	in producers' surplus ,
and ~T 	change 	in tariff revenues, 	and where all 	the ~s are 	defined as 	the
.".
j
'f"
value 	of the variable 	in the new predicted equilibrium 	less 	the 	value 	of 	the
variable 	in 	the 	initial 	equilibrium. 	That 	is, 	the 	deadweight 	loss 	is 	the
amount lost by consumers which is not captured or distributed to other sectors
of 	the 	domestic 	economy. 	It 	is 	lost 	to 	the 	economy 	and 	is 	in 	that 	sense 	a
"deadweight" loss 	imposed by the tariff or quota .
Flat Products
The areas I + II, 	bounded by the broken lines in panel A in figure 	2, 	are
equal 	to 	the 	gain 	in producers' 	surplus. 	Quantitatively, 	it 	is 	equal 	to 	$9.6
15
million. 	Producers 	are 	willing 	to 	supply 	at 	a 	price 	read 	off 	their 	supply
curve; 	the price that 	they are able 	to receive has been reduced by $10.52 per
ton. 	This 	loss 	in 	producers' 	surplus 	is 	equal 	to 	the 	gain 	in 	consumers'
surplus 	in the domestic market, 	so 	there 	are 	no 	deadweight 	losses 	attributed
15 We 	have 	taken 	a 	linear 	approximation 	for 	the 	supply 	curve 	in
calculating the area II.
·}.
~:.
'.f-
Page 18
16
to domestic market resource shifts ..
The rectangle R in panel B is equal 	to 	the value of the 	tariff surcharge
revenue 	on 	purchases 	of 	imports 	in 	the 	initial 	equilibrium. 	It 	is 	gained
consumers' 	surplus 	from 	tariff removal, 	but 	is not a 	gain to 	the economy. 	The
triangle 	DW represents 	recaptured 	deadweight 	loss 	from 	removal 	of 	the 	tariff
. .surcharge, 	because 	it 	is 	part 	of 	consumers' 	surplus 	but 	is 	not 	taken 	from
other sectors of the economy either from producers' 	surplus or tariff revenue.
It is pure efficiency gain in that it is a gain that is not lost by anyone.
An additional 	area of efficiency gain from 	tariff removal 	is 	the 	area T
in panel 	B. 	This 	area 	represents 	tariff 	revenue 	after 	removal 	of 	the 	tariff
surcharge 	that was captured by no one 	in the 	initial equilibrium. 	Since 	there
are more 	imports 	in the new equilibrium than in the 	initial 	equilibrium, 	the
government 	collects 	tariff 	revenue 	on 	these 	additional 	imports 	at 	the 	base
tariff 	rate 	of 	9.4 	percent. 	Since 	the 	rectangle 	T 	is 	now 	captured 	by 	the
government 	but 	not 	consumers, 	it 	does 	not 	represent 	an 	additional 	area 	of
consumers' 	surplus gain.
16 This 	methodology 	is 	consistent 	with 	Harberger's 	(1971) 	principles,
since 	there 	is 	no 	difference between the price 	and 	the 	marginal 	costs 	of any
producer. 	This 	is because we assume 	that the domestic 	industry 	is 	competitive
both before and after the equilibrium.
We 	employ 	the 	same 	procedure 	in 	the 	quota 	problem 	for 	the 	non-flat
sector. 	We may be 	underestimating 	the 	costs 	to 	consumers 	and 	the 	economy 	in
that 	instance, 	because with import quotas 	in place, 	the domestic 	industry may
be 	able 	to 	raise 	prices 	above 	marginal 	costs. 	That 	is, 	import 	quotas 	may
facilitate 	the 	restriction of output by 	the 	domestic 	industry. 	(See 	Krishna,
1983 	for 	a 	general 	discussion 	of 	the 	subject.) 	Our 	estimates 	should 	be
considered 	conservative 	to 	the 	extent 	that 	there 	is 	a 	restriction 	of 	output
effect resulting in prices above marginal costs.
Page 19
Non-Flat Products
The 	analysis 	for 	domestic 	non-flat 	products 	is 	fully 	analogous 	to 	the
flat 	problem. 	For 	the 	import 	market, 	however, 	there 	is 	a 	significant
difference. 	The 	rectangle 	R, 	in 	panel 	B of 	figure 	3, 	is 	equal 	to 	the 	lost
quota 	rents 	of 	foreigners 	when 	the 	quotas 	on non-flat 	products 	are 	removed.
• •
The 	foreigners 	sell 	their 	quota 	allotment 	at 	the 	weighted 	average 	price 	of
$3285 	per 	ton, 	when 	the 	price 	at 	which 	they 	are 	willing 	to 	supply 	this
quantity is read off their tariff inclusive supply curve and is $3018 per ton.
The 	difference 	in 	the 	realized 	price 	versus 	the 	price 	at 	which 	they 	are
willing 	to 	supply 	is 	the 	quota 	rent 	per 	ton. 	In 	figure 	2, 	the 	rectangle 	R
represents 	tariff 	revenue 	captured by 	the 	government. 	It 	is 	because 	of 	this
rectangle 	of 	quota 	rents 	(that 	are 	converted 	to 	tariff 	revenue 	for 	the
government under a tariff) 	that quotas given to foreigners 	represent a greater
cost to the domestic economy.
The 	triangle 	DW 	and 	the 	rectangle 	T 	also 	have 	fully 	analogous
interpretations 	to 	the 	flat 	products 	case. 	When 	the 	quota 	is 	removed, 	both
areas 	represent 	efficiency 	gains. 	The 	area 	T, 	however, 	is 	not 	a 	gain 	in
consumers' 	surplus. 	Because of this area T, 	the gains 	to 	the 	economy, 	in this
particular case, 	exceed the gains to consumers from removal of the quotas.
The Terms of Trade Effect
Based on the 	data above, 	which are 	summarized 	in 	figures 	2 and 3, 	it 	is
possible 	to 	calculate 	the 	additional 	expenditures 	on foreign 	steel 	resulting
from 	removal 	of 	the 	tariff 	surcharge 	and 	the 	temporary 	quotas. 	For 	flat
products 	this amount 	is $47.5 million and for 	non-flat products 	the amount 	is
,,
,.
Page 20
$1.9 million. 	If there were no other effects on the US balance of trade, 	this
would 	be 	expected 	to 	slightly 	depreciate 	the 	value 	of 	the 	US 	dollar. 	A
depreciated 	dollar, 	however, 	causes 	US 	citizens 	to 	pay 	more 	for 	imports 	and
receive less for their exports 	(a negative terms of trade effect).
There 	are 	many 	ways 	in 	which 	lower 	steel 	prices 	will 	cause 	the 	US 	to
• •
import 	less 	and export more 	of other goods. 	Thus, 	when all 	the 	repercussions
of the 	lower steel prices have evolved through the economy, 	the 	effect on the
US balance of trade can be expected to be considerably smaller than the $47.5
million 	and 	$1.9 	million 	values, 	and 	may 	even 	reverse 	in 	sign. 	Lacking 	a
general 	equilibrium model 	for 	the 	calculation 	of 	these 	effects, 	however, 	we
take the $47.5 and $1.9 million values as our estimate of the balance of trade
effect. 	Thus. 	we 	will 	be 	overestimating 	the 	terms 	of 	trade 	effect 	and
underestimating the gains to the economy of removal of the tariffs and quotas.
A methodology has been developed in Tarr and Morkre 	(1984) 	that indicates
that 	for 	every dollar of 	improvement 	in the balance 	of trade, 	the US 	economy
gains 	$0.038. 	Therefore, 	the 	terms 	of trade 	loss 	is: 	$1.8 million for 	tariff
removal 	(-.038*$47.5 	million) ; 	and 	$0.1 	million 	for 	quota 	removal
(- 	.038*$1. 9 	million). 	These 	values 	are 	subtracted 	from 	the 	deadweight 	loss
estimates 	to 	arrive 	at 	the 	net 	gains 	to 	the 	economy 	from 	tariff 	and 	quota
removal.
Anre ute Gains
The 	aggregate 	gains 	to 	the 	economy from removal 	of 	the 	tariff surcharge
on flat products and quotas on non-flat products 	is taken to be the sum of the
separate gains.
Page 21
IV. 	COSTS PER JOB PROTECTED
If 	the 	tariffs 	and 	quotas 	are 	extended, 	then 	a 	number 	of 	jobs 	in
steelmaking will remain protected. An estimate of the number of jobs protected
can be 	based 	on 	the 	estimates 	of 	section 	II. 	Extension 	of 	the 	tariffs 	will
. . 	,
resul t 	in 	an 	additional 	24,298 	tons 	of 	flat 	stainless 	steel 	products 	being
produced 	per 	year 	in 	the 	US. 	Extension 	of 	the 	quotas 	will 	result 	in 	an
additional 	11,705 	tons 	of stainless bars 	and rods 	and alloy 	tool 	steel being
produced per year in the US.
From 	data 	in 	USITC 	publication 	1908, 	it 	is 	possible 	to 	calculate
employment-production 	ratios 	for 	the 	industries 	in 	the 	above 	paragraph. 	In
particular, 	in 	1985 	it 	took 	an 	average 	of 	14.90 	workers 	to 	produce 	one
thousand tons per year of the aggregate of the steel products at issue in this
proceeding. 	Using 	this 	value 	as 	our 	estimate 	of 	the 	additional 	workers
required to produce the additional tonnage, 	removal of the trade restraints at
issue will 	result 	in the 	loss of 362 jobs 	in the flat products sector and 174
jobs in the non-flat products sector. 	We divide our estimates of costs 	to 	the
economy and to consumers by these numbers of jobs to derive 	the costs per job
estimates 	that 	are 	summarized 	in 	table 	2 above. 	The 	costs 	per 	job 	estimates
are 	presented 	by 	sector 	and 	in 	the 	aggregate; 	the 	aggregate 	estimates 	are
obtained by dividing the aggregate cost estimates by 536 	(- 362 + 174).
The costs per job estimate do not include the private costs of providing
a job. 	That is, 	they exclude the wages and other costs of providing employment
in 	an 	industry. 	Moreover, 	as 	we 	have 	explained 	in 	Morkre 	and 	Tarr 	(1980),
trade 	restrictions 	cannot 	be 	expected 	to 	increase 	employment 	on 	an
Page 22
economy-wide 	basis. 	Thus. 	the 	jobs 	protected 	in 	steel 	are 	likely 	lost
elsewhere 	in 	the 	economy. 	and 	these 	estimates 	are 	to 	be 	interpreted 	as 	the
costs of providing employment in steel at the expense of employment elsewhere.
• •
Page 23
LISTS OF WORKS CITED
Burns, 	Michael 	E. 	(1973), 	"A 	Note 	on 	the 	Concept 	and 	Measure 	of 	Consumers'
Surplus," American Economic Review, 	63(3), 	pp.335-344.
Corden, 	W. 	M. 	(1971), 	The Theory of Protection, 	Oxford University Press.
Crandall, 	Robert 	(~&l), The US 	Steel 	Industry 	in Recurrent 	Crisis, 	Brookings
Institution.
Harberger, 	Arnold 	(1971), 	"Three 	Basic 	Postulates 	for 	Applied 	Welfare
Economics: 	An Interpretive 	Essay," 	Journal 	of Economic 	Literature, 	9(3),
pp.785-797.
Jondrow, 	James 	M., 	Chase, 	David 	E. 	and 	Christopher 	L. 	Gamble 	(1982), 	"The
Price 	Differential 	Between 	Imported 	and 	Domestic 	Steel," 	Journal 	of
Business, 	55(3), 	pp. 	383-99.
Krishna, 	Kala 	(1983), 	"Trade 	Restrictions 	as 	Facilitating 	Practices,"
Discussion Paper Number 55, 	Woodrow Wilson School, 	Princeton University.
Morkre, 	Morris 	E. 	and 	David 	G. 	Tarr 	(1980), 	The 	Effects 	of 	Restrictions
on 	United 	States 	Imports:. 	Five 	Case 	Studies 	and 	Theory, 	Bureau 	of
Economics Report to the FTC.
Tarr, 	David 	G. 	and 	Morris 	E. 	Morkre 	(1984), 	Anrente 	Costs 	to 	the 	United
States 	of Tariffs 	and Quotas 	on 	Imports, 	Bureau 	of 	Economics 	Report 	to
the FTC.
Willig, 	Robert 	(1976), 	"Consumers 	Surplus Without Apology," 	American Economic
Review, 	66(4), 	pp. 	589-597.
CERTIFICATE 	OF 	SERVICE
I 	hereby 	certify 	that 	on 	thi~~day of 	March 	1987, 	I 	have
served 	the 	foregoing 	prehearing 	brief 	by 	causing 	the 	original 	and
14 	copies 	to 	be 	hand-delivered 	to 	the 	Secretary 	of 	the 	Commission
and 	a 	copy 	to 	be 	mailed 	first 	class, 	postage 	prepaid 	to 	the
following:
Alexander 	W. 	Sierck, 	Esq.
Beveridge 	& Diamond, 	P.C.
1333 	New Hampshire 	Ave., 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20036
The 	British 	Independent 	Steel
Producers 	Association
Noel 	Hemmendinger, 	Esq.
William Barringer, 	Esq.
Zygmunt 	Jablonski, 	Esq.
Willkie, 	Farr 	& Gallagher
818 	Connecticut Ave., 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20006
The 	Japan 	Special
Steel 	Exporters'
Association
Louis 	H. 	Kurrelmeyer, 	Esq.
Raymond 	S. 	Calamaro, 	Esq.
Christopher 	R. 	Wall, 	Esq.
Mark 	A. 	Monborn, 	Esq.
Winthrop, 	Stimson, 	Putnam,
& Roberts
1155 	Connecticut 	Ave., 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20036
Avesta 	AB, 	Avesta
Uddeholm 	Stainless 	Bar 	AB,
Fagersta 	Stainless 	Bar 	AB, 	Gunnebo
Stainless 	AB, 	Kanthal 	AB, 	Kloster
Speedsteel AB, 	Ovako 	Steel AB,
AB 	Sandvik 	Steel 	& Uddeholm
Tooling 	AB
Charlene 	Barshefsky, 	Esq.
Robert 	T. 	Novick, 	Esq.
Steptoe 	& Johnson
1330 	Connecticut 	Avenue
Washington, 	D.C. 	20036
British 	Steel 	Corporation
& British 	Steel
Corporation, 	Inc.
and
Economic 	Consulting
Services 	Inc.
1320 	19th 	Street, 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20006
Petitioners
Thomas 	F. 	Shannon, 	Esq
David 	A. 	Hartquist, 	Esq.
Paul 	C. 	Rosenthal, 	Esq.
Patrick 	B. 	Fazzone, 	Esq.
Laurence 	J. 	Lasoff, 	Esq.
Collier, 	Shannon, 	Rill
& Scott
1055 Thomas 	Jefferson 	Street, 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20007
Louis 	H. 	Kurrelmeyer, 	Esq.
Raymond 	S. 	Calamaro, 	Esq.
Christopher 	R. 	Wall, 	Esq.
Mark 	A. 	Monborne, 	Esq.
Winthrop, 	Stimson, 	Putnam
, 	Roberts
1155 	Connecticut 	Ave., 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20036
Kanthal 	AB, 	its 	subsidiary
Kanthal 	Corp., 	Uddeholm 	Tooling
AB 	and 	its 	subsidiary,
Uddeholm 	Corp.
Edwin C. 	Bullock, 	Esq.
Freeman, 	Wasserman 	, 	Schneider
90 	John 	Street
New 	York, 	New 	York 	10038
Avesta 	AB, 	Avesta 	Stainless 	Inc.
, 	Avesta 	Inc.
Glenn 	R. 	Reichardt, 	Esq.
Kirkpatrick 	& Lockhart
1800 	M Street, 	N.W.
South 	Lobby 	- 	9th 	Floor
Washington, 	D.C. 	20036
Michigan 	Knife 	Co. 	&
Hannaco 	Knives 	, 	Saws
Glenn 	R. 	Reichardt, 	Esq.
Kirkpatrick 	& Lockhart
1800 	M Street, 	N.W.
South 	Lobby 	- 	9th 	Floor
Washington, 	D.C. 	20036
Michigan 	Knife 	Co. 	,
Hannaco 	Knives 	& Saws
Robert 	C. 	Cassidy, 	Jr., 	Esq.
Wilmer, 	Cutler' 	Pickering
2445 	M Street, 	N.W.
washington, 	D.C. 	20037
Texas 	Instruments 	Incorporated
- 	2 -
George 	V. 	Egge, 	Jr., 	Esq.
Law 	Offices
George 	V. 	Egge, 	Jr., 	P.C.
Suite 	604
1776 	K Street, 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20006
Union 	de 	Empresas 	y
Entidades 	Siderurgicas 	, 	its
interested 	party 	member
companies
Jerome 	P. 	Akman, 	Esq.
Lewis 	E. 	Leibowitz, 	Esq.
Arent, 	Fox, 	Kintner, 	Plotkin
& Kahn
1050 	Connecticut 	Ave., 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20036
Outokumpu 	Oy
William 	Silverman, 	Esq.
Dow, 	Lohnes' 	Albertson
1255 	Twenty-Third 	Street
Washington, 	D.C. 	20037
Atlas 	Specialty 	Steels
& Slater 	Industries, 	Inc.
Robert 	T. 	ChancIer
Managing 	Director
American 	Wire 	Producers
Association
1101 	Connecticut 	Ave., 	N.W.
Washington, 	D.C. 	20036
The 	Stainless 	Redrawers
Committee
Patrick 	D. 	Gill 	Esq.
Rode 	& Oualey
295 	Madison 	Ave.
New 	York, 	New 	York 	10017
Sandvik 	Steel 	Company
Pierre 	F. 	de 	Ravel 	d'Esclapon, 	Esq.
Donovan 	Leisure 	Newton 	& Irvine
30 	Rockefeller 	Plaza
New 	York, 	New 	York 	10112
Usinor 	- 	Chatillon, 	Ugine 	S.A.,
Ugine 	Gueugnon, 	Imphy 	S.A.
- 	3 	-
~ 	_cd..-
-=B-e-n'Tjamin 	Cohen
Attorney
Division 	of 	International
Antitrust 	.
Federal 	Trade 	Commission
Washington, 	D.C. 	20580
202 	326-2949

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