[wplug] OT: WTO was: Re: What is this World Intellectual Property Concept that RMS is pushing?

[Philip Reiche]

Actually, heat is the big cost, not labor. That's why mills were located
nearer coalfields than iron ore. Make it expensive to keep the steel hot
enough to work by forcing the use of expensive (cleaner, sadly) fuel, or
let the steel cool at any time in the process and you lose the profit,
and eventually the mill. You can automate away most of the labor, but
inefficient use of heat will still kill ya.

>>> billpwl1 at verizon.net 4/6/2005 10:30 AM >>>
John Harrold wrote:

> This happens both ways. We were subsidizing our steel industry for
years
> until a complaint was filed with the WTO and eventually Bush got rid
of the
> steel subsidies. 

Actually, Japan and China and other governments subsidize their own 
steel production so that those companies can sell(dump) the steel to
the 
American Markets at a price that is less that it costs them to make the

steel,(and MUCH ,MUCH lower than we can make it here with our labor 
costs.)But, Since that the production of the steel is an internal
matter 
and one not directly involving international trade, the WTO doesn't 
concern themselves with that!

Bush placed tariffs on the imported steel, which the WTO considers bad.

  This could be considered the government subsidizing the US steel 
industry, but most view it as protectionism of the US Steel industry, 
which is good for them, but generally bad for the steel consumer as it

raises steel prices.

my $.02
let the flame wars begin!

bill
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