Unfair trade practices by other countries have been a plague on the U.S. steel industry for decades. RG Steel’s bankruptcy filing last month should raise the question of whether foreign steel makers still are being permitted to destroy American jobs and critical manufacturers.

The answer may be yes.

And it appears President Barack Obama is reluctant to crack down on some countries guilty of unfair trade practices despite a plea by the Congressional Steel Caucus that more be done to safeguard U.S. companies.

In March, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, and Congressman Mike Michaud, D-Maine, drafted a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to address China’s continued currency manipulation. …

Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., and vice-chairman of the Steel Caucus, warned that “more must be done to ensure that American steelworkers can compete against such (Chinese) government influence.”

That and other warnings seem to have fallen on deaf ears in the White House. …

Not enough is being done to crack down on the cheaters.

— Distributed by The Associated Press