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Since the late 1960s, the US steel industry has been asking for protection from imports and subsidies to help alleviate its troubles. The US government has, from time to time, announced various protectionist measures. In 2001, President George W Bush announced his Steel Programme. It consisted of three parts: negotiations with trading partners to eliminate inefficient excess capacity in the steel industry worldwide; negotiations with trading partners to eliminate the distorting practices including subsidies that resulted in excess capacity; and investigation under Section 201 to determine whether the industry was harmed by low- priced steel imports. After the investigation by the US International Trade Commission (USITC), in March 2002, the President imposed tariff measures under Section 201 to help domestic producers to compete with imported steel. Trade economists argued that these measures would hamper the competitiveness of the industry. The government's protectionist policies would adversely affect market efficiency and innovation in the industry. Imposition of Section 201 tariff measures would increase government intervention in an industry that was already protected, they felt. Statistics show that 80% of imports to the US were already subject to tariffs under the US antidumping laws. These laws allowed the government to impose tariffs on steel products that were subsidized by the foreign governments and dumped in the US. However, in spite of being protected, the industry was struggling. In December 2003, the US administration lifted Section 201 tariff measures, thus, avoiding a trade war with the European Union and Asian countries.