Brown Announces Outlines Next Steps to Ensure U.S. Can Legally Fight Back Against Unfair Chinese Trade Practices by Imposing Tariffs on Illegally Subsidized Chinese Imports; Calls on House of Representatives to Pass His Bipartisan Senate Bill Cracking Down on Chinese Currency Manipulation

 

CLEVELAND, OHIO – Following a ruling by a federal appeals court this week that would hamstring the ability of the U.S. to fight back against cheap Chinese imports, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) held a news conference call today to outline next steps in standing up for Ohio jobs by enabling the Commerce Department to impose tariffs and other duties against Chinese imports that benefit from illegal export subsidies. Brown also called on the U.S. House of Representative to pass the Currency Exchange and Oversight Reform Act, bipartisan legislation authored by Brown that represents the biggest bipartisan jobs bill – at no cost to U.S. taxpayers – passed by the Senate this year.

“Addressing our trade imbalance with China is essential – and to do so means that we must make China play fair with the United States,” Brown said. “Make no mistake. Jobs are at stake. That’s why I call on the House to pass my China currency bill – the biggest bipartisan jobs bill that passed the Senate this session. After years of China gaming the benefits of WTO membership – without adhering to rules – it’s time for Congress and the Administration to act in our nation’s interest. China has not been competing – it’s been cheating.”

On Monday, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit made a ruling that would hamstring the ability of the U.S. government to fight back against illegal Chinese trade practices. The court ruled that because China is a “non-market economy,” countervailing duties imposed by the U.S. Commerce Department on certain Chinese imports are illegal. Brown called for the House to pass his bill cracking down on Chinese currency manipulation – a decidedly non-market economy practice by China. Brown also announced his plans to introduce a bill that would allow the Commerce Department to legally apply tariffs and other countervailing duties to Chinese imports that benefit from illegal export subsidies.

China joined the World Trade Organization ten years ago this month. In joining the WTO, China promised to remove trade barriers, increase transparency, and ensure more stringent protection of intellectual property rights.

More than 20 Ohio companies have been represented in industry petitions for relief through countervailing duties after subsidized Chinese imports have undermined their businesses. A listing by county can be found below:

Ohio Companies Impacted by Countervailing Duties Since China Joined WTO

COUNTY

COMPANY NAME

Butler

Magnode Corp

Columbiana

Pennex Aluminum

Zarbana Industries

Franklin

Central Aluminum

Hamilton

Aluminum Extruded Shapes, Inc

Licking

Kaiser Aluminum

Logan

National Extrusion & Manufacturing

Lorain

U.S. Steel

Mahoning

Aerolite Extrusion Company

Star Extruded Shapes

General Extrusions, Incorporated

Extrudex Aluminum

Astro Shapes

V&M Star

Montgomery

Appleton Papers, Incorporated

Hayes Lemmerz

Shelby

Hydro Extrusions

Stark

American Aluminum Extrusions of Ohio

Trumbull

BRT Extrusions

Wheatland Tube

Washington

Magnum Magnetics Corporation

Wayne

Holtec Industries

Williams

Titan Tire



Ohio-Related Products Affected

Aluminum Extrusions

Light-Walled Rectangular Pipe and Tube

Certain steel Wheels

Lightweight Thermal Paper

New Pneumatic Off-The-Road Tires

Coated Paper Suitable for High-Quality Print Graphics Using Sheet-Fed Presses



 

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