The Section 421 petition was filed in August by Allied Tube & Conduit, IPSCO, Maruichi American Corp., Maverick Tube, Sharon Tube, Western Tube & Conduit, Wheatland Tube and the United Steelworkers union. Such a petition allows businesses or other groups harmed by imports from nations that engage in unfair trade practices to ask the federal government to limit imports of the products. Congress passed the Section 421 petition process as an amendment to U.S. trade laws in 2000 in direct response to China's entrance into the World Trade Organization.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) projects the imports will grow by at least 60% this year. In a 4-to-2 vote last October, the ITC recommended Bush approve the Section 421 petition and impose import limits.