The In-House Legal Perspective on International Trade Issues. Douglas Gunson General Manager of Legal Affairs Nucor Corporation 17 November 2016

Transcription

1 The In-House Legal Perspective on International Trade Issues Douglas Gunson General Manager of Legal Affairs Nucor Corporation 17 November 2016

2 Nucor Corporation I am General Manager of Legal Affairs for Nucor Corporation ( Nucor ) Nucor is the largest North American-based steel producer and the largest recycler in the Western Hemisphere 2015 Sales: $16.4 billion 2015 Production: 17.6 million metric tons More than 24,000 Teammates 25 Scrap-Based Steel Mills in the United States All Nucor mills utilize Electric Arc Furnaces Nucor companies also manufacture various steel products: Structural products (i.e., steel joists and decking) Fabricated rebar Engineered buildings Grating Foundational products and systems Nucor also owns the David J. Joseph Company, one of the largest steel scrap dealers and brokers in North America Total Tons Sold to Outside Customers in 2015 Downstream Products 8% 13% Plate Structural 10% Raw Materials 12% Bar 21% Sheet 36% 2

3 Nucor in North America 3

4 Nucor Internationally Our Canadian operations include a new structural plant and the country s largest rebar fabricator Our 50% JV in Italy is the largest supplier of after-market track shoes for excavation in the world, the largest supplier of structural beams in Italy, and a supplier of SBQ semi-finished material for automotive and energy markets Our JVs in Mexico focus on value-added sheet products primarily for the automotive market Our Trinidad subsidiary (Nu-Iron Unlimited) produces Direct Reduced Iron ( DRI ) Nucor has brokerage, marketing, and trading operations in Canada, Mexico, China, Switzerland, and the UAE 4

5 Areas of Responsibility International trade areas of focus and responsibility: Countervailing duty ( CVD ) Antidumping ( AD ) Safeguards Customs Trade policy To effectively accomplish this effort, I work closely with our: Commercial team Government Affairs team Outside legal counsel This requires that I maintain a substantive knowledge of: WTO rules and U.S. trade laws Economics of the domestic and international steel industries Behavior of markets for individual products One way I am able to stay up to date on developments in international trade is by participating in conferences like this one 5

6 Areas of Responsibility - Trade Commercial Team Outside Counsel Int l Trade Policy Making Government Team 6

7 Nucor and Trade Litigation For many years, Nucor was not involved in trade cases simply because the company concentrated on certain segments of the market that were not especially exposed to international competition As Nucor grew and expanded its product base, and as the global supply of steel increased, we ve experienced greater competition from dumped and subsidized imports For example, a successful case involving beams from Japan and Korea in the late 1990 s was vital to Nucor s ability to be competitive in the beams market Nucor s recent expansion internationally has added an additional level of involvement with international trade laws 7

8 Nucor s Perspective The Need for Rules-Based Trade The global steel market is intensely competitive, with many efficient producers, so that following the rules is key to the smooth operation of the world steel market Nucor welcomes competition on the basis of the internationally agreed-upon rules These rules also allow countries to remedy dumping and subsidization that cause injury At the same time, Nucor is subject to and is expected to adhere to the same rules in its international activities The compensation of all Nucor teammates is based on steel production, so sales lost to dumped and subsidized imports affect all Nucor teammates directly 8

9 Imports: Market Intelligence Nucor constantly monitors the domestic and international markets for all its products, including: Import statistics Sales call reports Customer input Press reports 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 Total U.S. Imports from World (thousands of metric tons) vs. Percent Finished Import Market Share 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 0 10%

10 Imports: Market Intelligence If we see imports in a given product from a country being sold at prices well below market, we discuss internally what further action to take Nucor has a very high level of expertise about trade remedies I act as a resource for information and advice on possible applications of the trade law 10

11 AD/CVD: Moving Forward If we decide a particular import situation may need further attention, we may discuss the matter with: Other industry participants Outside counsel Economic consultants Trade cases may also have political and industry implications Once a decision to bring a case has been made, my role as counsel in trade cases includes Working with our commercial team to gather the necessary information Overseeing outside counsel and economic consultants Providing advice and decisions on significant legal issues Outside counsel primarily conduct the cases, but we remain closely involved at all times 11

12 Other Aspects of AD/CVD Court litigation and appeals Administrative reviews Sunset Reviews My role as General Manager of Legal Affairs is to work with and supervise outside counsel in all of these areas 12

13 Customs Nucor exports a moderate amount of steel, so we are called upon to: Advise on Customs classifications, as needed Respond to reports of misclassified imports Support U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) by providing education and training to CBP officers on steel related issues 13

14 Trade Policy At Nucor, we monitor developments in trade policy closely through our Washington office Some of the things we follow, and in which our team is engaged, are: Changes to the AD/CVD laws Customs matters (including tariff classifications) International economic agreements Developments at the WTO 14

15 Trade Policy Trade cases are necessary in the short term Long term, we must address the underlying problem of excess global steel capacity mmt 50 mmt Massive Growth of Steel Overcapacity over Last 10 Years (in millions of metric tons) 750 mmt Overcapacity 400 mmt Sources: OECD, World Steel, China Iron & Steel Assn. Global Steel Capacity Global Steel Production China Steel Capacity China Steel Production

16 Engaging Trade Policy OECD High-Level Symposium on Excess Capacity & Structural Adjustment in the Steel Sector April 18, 2016, Brussels US-China Steel Dialogue Addresses Trade Friction regarding Steel May 11-12, 2016, The White House

17 New Products Nucor frequently evaluates opportunities to move into new product lines This has trade implications as well, including: Existing import levels and prices Outstanding orders Customs issues 17

18 Exports & International Operations With our growing international and export profile, we must follow national and international rules regarding exports, including: Compliance with U.S. export control laws Compliance with foreign anti-dumping laws Nucor has had to become more familiar with the trade laws of the countries of our customers Nucor has increasingly been asked to respond to requests for information from foreign governments 18

19 Final Thoughts In-house counsel need to be very familiar with the mechanics of domestic and international trade laws We actively supervise and participate in trade cases We must stay fully abreast of legal and policy developments U.S. International Trade Commission Washington, DC 19

20 The In-House Legal Perspective on International Trade Issues Douglas Gunson General Manager of Legal Affairs Nucor Corporation 17 November 2016