Brussels / Washington, 27/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - Although a climate of goodwill seems to have settled over the Union's deferred deadlines on immediate sanctions and Washington's decisions to bring the volume of European steel exempt from controversial surcharge up to 50%, the US authorities have again been urged by US industry to take trade protection measures against certain foreign steel products including European products. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Federal Commission for International Trade is to rule, on Tuesday, on a series of dumping complaints aimed at cold rolled steel imported from five countries including Sweden, then in October on a similar case involving French, German, Belgian, Spanish and Dutch producers. This approach has raised a cry for restraint from the European Commission which promises, where necessary, to "fully defend our position". "This is part of a series of unnecessary actions against European steel producers", it is felt in Brussels, where confidence is nonetheless expressed that "our arguments will be heard". A trade war is not in anyone's interest, stressed Reinhard Kuhlmann, Secretary General of the Steelworkers Federation of 19 European countries quoted in the last edition of WSJ. "Let us hope that the (antidumping) decision will not spark off a cycle of defensive actions and reactions", he said. The New York daily recalls, however, that, since the setting in place of the safeguard provision across the Atlantic, the ITC has on three occasions refused to take protective measures called for by industry which complained of dumping by foreign competition.