Foreign trade cheats kill jobs, senators say
Dayton Daily News – A bipartisan legislative group is pushing for a crackdown on foreign trade cheats blamed by an increasingly vocal Congress for undercutting American industry and suppressing job recovery in recession-ravaged states like Ohio.
The group includes U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat and Rob Portman, a Republican, of Ohio. A bill introduced last week by the senators would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to quickly investigate anti-dumping and duty evasion. Other sponsors include Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chair of the Senate Finance Committee’s subcommittee on Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness; Olympia Snowe, R-Maine; Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; and Charles Schumer, D-NY.
The senators want a vote later this summer on the Enforcing Orders and Reducing Circumvention Evasion Act, or ENFORCE. Portman has said that in one example, drilling pipe worth $2.8 billion was unfairly dumped by China, devastating Ohio industry that makes similar pipe. Other dumped products include construction components, tainted honey, candles and woven sacks.
“Foreign companies who are not playing by the rules, harming Ohio workers and American taxpayers, should not be allowed to do an end-run around the law,” Portman said. Portman initiated the first legal case to be litigated and won against China before the World Trade Organization because of China’s unfair treatment of U.S.-made auto parts.
