Monday, July 18, 2005

Dump the duties?

Could the shortage of cement in the U.S. get a pick-me-up? The Associated General Contractors of America has asked the Southern Tier Cement Committee to withdraw its complaint that triggered the current anti-dumping duty on Mexican cement and allow cement supplies to arrive from Mexico free of prohibitively high duties. AGC and the Portland Cement Association have already received reports from 28 states and the District of Columbia, documenting shortages, allocations, and delivery delays. Maybe it's time for a new approach that addresses the current reality of high demand. And maybe it's time to finance and permit a few new U.S. plants as well. Your comment?