The Real Steel Deal. (Correspondence).(Letter to the Editor)

BARRY LYNN'S ARTICLE

["The Real Steel Deal," Dec. 30, 2002] leaves the reader with the impression that the impact of the safeguard tariffs put in place by the Bush administration is much broader than is the case. Originally the tariff applied only to 29 of all U.S. imports. Even with the 727 exemptions granted by the administration, the tariffs now only apply to one-fifth of U.S. imports, or 5 percent of the steel used in the United States.

Many of the 727 exemptions were for products used by the automobile industry. In his article, Mr. Lynn refers to automotive ...