U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Submits International Trade Commission Testimony in Support of Wisconsin Paper Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin has submitted testimony for a hearing of the International Trade Commission (ITC) on behalf of the Wisconsin paper industry and its 52,000 employees in the state.
Domtar Corporation and United Steelworkers (USW) allege that China, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, and Portugal have dumped paper into the U.S. market. In addition, China and Indonesia were found to be providing illegal state subsidies to their paper companies. Today’s ITC hearing will determine if the dumping is materially injuring U.S. paper producers.
“In Wisconsin, we have one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the nation, supporting a large share of our workforce and exporting goods all over America and the world. Many of the goods that the manufacturing sector produces are trade-sensitive, meaning that similar products are available to be imported from abroad. The rules governing these trades are understood by all of our trading partners, but the high stakes of international competition can tempt our competitors to tip the scales in their favor,” said Senator Baldwin in her submitted testimony.
“As the nation’s leading paper producer, and a top manufacturer, Wisconsin stands to lose the most when foreign companies cheat. The paper and forest products industries in Wisconsin employ more than 52,000 workers. Of those, more than half are high-wage jobs. The unfair foreign competition presented in this case has a direct link not only to the national manufacturing crisis, but also the wage stagnation that has plagued my state for some time. As high-wage manufacturing jobs are lost to unfair foreign competition, they are often replaced by low-wage jobs,” Senator Baldwin continued.
United States manufacturing has suffered financial losses and lost thousands of jobs as a result of persistent patterns of unfair trade across all segments of the sector. American manufacturers fight an uphill battle to keep their prices competitive as international companies sell goods in the Unites States at subsidized prices. The enforcement of anti-dumping trade laws ensures American manufacturers compete on a level playing field by preventing unfairly traded imports from blocking American businesses from establishing a viable footing in the marketplace.
Senator Baldwin has stood up for our Made in Wisconsin economy and Wisconsin manufacturers throughout her time in the Senate. In 2014, Senator Baldwin testified on behalf of Wisconsin manufacturer Appvion of Appleton in front of the ITC to bring attention to important trade matters and an anti-dumping investigation. Senator Baldwin also testified in front of the ITC on behalf of Felker Brothers of Marshfield to highlight challenges that Felker and Wisconsin steel manufacturers have faced from unfairly traded imports.
