Gerard wrote that since the passage of the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement, South Korea has become the third largest exporter of steel into the United States, while the U.S. export market share into South Korea is down by 5.3 percent since 2014.

The union fears the TPP would worsen the trade deficit in steel and threaten half a million jobs on the supply chain since the steel trade deficit was already 2.8 million tons in 2014.

“This trade deficit in steel will not only continue, but will worsen,” Gerard wrote. “There are a multitude of reasons why the USW has no doubt that the U.S. steel trade deficit will deteriorate further under the TPP."

The union boss gave examples such as an unacceptably low domestic content requirement in the act.

The proposed trade deal would lift tariffs for steel parts that only needed minor alteration like stamping, which the USW says is a loophole that will exploited.

“By not encouraging a melted and poured standard for steel products it is quite likely that non-TPP countries such as China will be able to ship semi-finished steel and have it merely stamped in a TPP country and have that product eligible for preferential treatment under the agreement,” Gerard wrote. “This along with many other shortfalls in the Rule of Origin will dramatically and negatively impact the domestic steel industry.”

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