Steam Coal Imports: An Evaluation of the Commerce Department Study on U.S. Steam Coal Imports

摘要

In April 1985, the Department of Commerce released a study, Potential for U.S. Steam Coal Imports, that examined the potential for U.S. electric generating utilities to buy imported coal and estimated the effect of such increased imports on U.S. coal production. The House Committee on Appropriations had requested Commerce 'to conduct a comprehensive study of the current and long-range impact of expanded coal marketing' by foreign exporting countries. These countries were subsequently identified as Australia, Canada, Colombia, Poland, and South Africa. After discussions with Committee staff, Commerce agreed to estimate what the effect would have been on U.S. coal production in 1983 if the excess foreign supply 0f coal in 1983 was at its projected 1990 level.