The U.S. will send officials to Japan, South Korea and China in the next two weeks to urge a cutback in steel production, the Financial Times reported Friday.
The delegation is part of a campaign launched by President George W. Bush's administration to stave off a crisis in the global steel industry amid excessive production, the newspaper said.
After visiting the three countries, officials from the Commerce Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will fly to Brussels to discuss the matter with European Union officials, the paper said.
They will also hold separate talks in Paris with officials from Russia and Ukraine. , while a second U.S. delegation will visit Brazil, Argentina and other steel-producing South American nations.
The world steel industry has suffered as supply outstrips demand, pushing prices to 20-year lows and prompting the Bush administration to launch a campaign to fight the worldwide glut.