“Once and for all, it’s time for this Congress and this administration to stand up for American workers and American jobs — jobs being destroyed and stolen due to illegal steel dumping by China, India and other Southeast Asian nations,” U.S. Rep Rick Nolan said in a statement.

“My bill would place an immediate moratorium on imports of foreign steel for five years, so our domestic industry will have time to return to 100 percent of production capacity — and so thousands of American workers who have lost their jobs in our mining, iron ore and steel industries can return to work as quickly as possible,” said Nolan, a Minnesota Democrat.

According to the Duluth News Tribune newspaper, seven of 11 major iron ore operations in Minnesota have closed or are about to close due to weak demand. Nolan said the reason is a glut of steel imports, much of which he says is being unfairly traded.

“The United States has proven itself incapable of enforcing trade agreements — and incapable of stopping illegal dumping of foreign steel once it reaches our shores ... So we need a moratorium on foreign steel,” Nolan said.