Author: R. McLaughlin
August 2001
Abstract
The current condition of the US steel industry owes its roots to the confluence of many factors; a surge in imports, the fragmentation of the domestic industry, misguided capital investments, an economic slowdown, and other factors. Some elements contributing to the industry’s downward spiral are within the control of company management, some are not. One thing is certain; the US industry has been thrust into a more global environment
(trade cases notwithstanding), and new forces are at work in determining the competitiveness of US companies. One of the most important – and least controllable by industry managers – is the movement of exchange rates, and their consequent impact on the competitiveness of US producers in a global context.
