Brussels / Washington, 28/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, six months after being granted unprecedented trade protection against foreign competition, the US steel industry met with a refusal from the federal International Trade Commission (ITC) to impose further surcharges on imports of steel products from five countries, including one European country. The day after Washington had taken its decision, the spokesperson for the European Commission said this was cause for satisfaction. Contrary to the affirmative opinion by the Trade Department in July, four to one of the members of the Federal Commission felt that the American steel industry has not suffered injury from any alleged dumping that the US industry accuses Swedish, Australian, Japanese, Thai and Indian cold rolled steel producers of practising. Measures called for by US Steel, Bethlehem Steel and Nucor Corporation, among others, would have more than doubled the price of the products in question, generally imported for the needs of the motor industry and manufacturers of electrical material and equipment. The Bethlehem Steel official expressed bitter disappointment saying that "political considerations have taken the upper hand over legal judgement". On the European side, there is mainly relief, as well as the hope that the ITC will soon reject other complaints of dumping and/or unfair subsidies voiced by the US industry. The federal Commission is to enact between 23 September and end October on these various matters involving French, German, Belgian, Spanish and Dutch steel companies (see yesterday, page 9).