Chinese Steel for Bay Bridge: Why?

Officials from the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee, which oversees construction of the new $6.3 billion San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (see picture below), traveled to Shanghai at the end of August to investigate recent delays in steel deliveries from the Zhenhua Port Machinery Company. The problem was diagnosed as welding problems at the China-based steel fabricator. The welding issues on the steel were first discovered last year but everyone thought the issue had been resolved; instead, it now appears the problems are even more serious than originally thought. The welding issues are not the only problems that have occurred with Chinese construction products in the recent past. Last year, the residential construction industry had been hard hit with lawsuits over faulty Chinese drywall, which may have been used in as many as 100,000 homes in the U.S., especially in Florida.

Whatever happen to buy America, especially something so basic like steel? Also, why are we using Chinese steel to build the bridge when our nation's steel plants are operating at 63%? Our steel industry is quietly shrinking into oblivion; because, as a nation, we have sold our soul to the Chinese.