Baldwin, Britt Join Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Trade Cheats and Support American Manufacturers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Katie Britt (R-AL) joined Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in sponsoring the Fighting Trade Cheats Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen U.S. trade law enforcement and give American manufacturers the opportunity to take action against bad actors that engage in customs fraud.
The bill takes aim at companies that dump foreign-made goods into the United States and would allow private companies to sue foreign producers that harm American companies. By allowing private companies harmed by trade cheats to use their own resources to fight back, the bill would help address customs fraud and protect American workers and American jobs.
“Wisconsin’s manufacturers and workers produce world-class products, but when foreign firms cheat the system to undermine our companies’ value and steal their jobs, Wisconsin families and communities suffer,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to stand with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to protect Made in Wisconsin businesses and crack down on these trade cheats who are causing devastating financial and employment losses for our state.”
“For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party and other bad actors have cheated American communities out of jobs, intellectual property, and opportunity,” said Senator Britt. “This bipartisan effort holds foreign entities accountable for malicious trade practices that harm Alabama manufacturers – including our iron and steel industry – and the hardworking Alabamians and families that rely on them for their livelihood. I will continue to fight to ensure that the CCP is held accountable, that we onshore good-paying 21st century jobs back to America, and that we strengthen our domestic supply chains and manufacturing base, especially in critical industries. This will help unlock the American Dream for families nationwide and keep our homeland safe and strong for generations to come.”
American businesses including Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, which owns Neenah Foundry, support the bipartisan legislation. Charlotte Pipe and Foundry is a family-owned company that manufactures cast iron, PVC, CPVC, and ABS pipe and fittings.
“This anti-circumvention trade legislation is critical to holding Chinese and other bad actors accountable when it comes to enforcing lawful dumping and subsidy duties,” said Roddey Dowd, Jr., vice chairman of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company, which owns Neenah Foundry. “For too long importers have evaded rightful measures to level the playing field for American manufacturers. We applaud Senator Baldwin and Senator Britt for working across the aisle to join in the bipartisan support for a measure that will help stop those who would cheat American workers and consumers. U.S. manufacturing needs Congress to provide it the tools to defend itself from foreign trade cheaters, which this bill clearly does.”
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
