The Trigger Price Mechanism: Limitation on Administrative Discretion under the Antidumping Laws

The world steel market, Jong subject to cyclical fluctuations, is presently faced with a severe problem of overproduction. United States producers of steel in particular have suffered difficulties in the current crisis. While the industry's problems are not new, conditions of slack demand and overcapacity have recently resulted in the implementation of a new system to administer the antidumping Jaws of the United States to curb imports of foreign-produced steel. This article will describe and evaluate this new system, the trigger price mechanism (TPM), and consider its role as a constraint on the administrative discretion of the United States Department of the Treasury.