Letter to Speaker Boehner, Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader Cantor, and Democratic Whip Hoyer
Letter
U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation which he co-sponsored to protect North Carolinian jobs from unfair trade practices utilized by counties with non-market economies like China and Vietnam. Congressman McIntyre is an original cosponsor of the bill which would apply countervailing duty provisions to prevent unfair trade practices that harm the competitiveness of U.S. products and companies.
Last month Congressman McIntyre, along with a bipartisan group of his colleagues in the House, sent a letter to Congressional leadership calling for swift action to address the lapse of this important trade tool.
The legislation was necessary to respond to a recent adverse federal court decision, GPX International Tire Corporation, et al. v. United States, which halted the use of countervailing duties as a practical measure to level the playing field for American workers.
"If North Carolina is to remain competitive internationally, we need access to the appropriate trade tools to ensure a level playing field," said McIntyre. "I will continue to support policies that support jobs here in the United States and prevent additional jobs heading overseas. The use of countervailing duties against non-market economies that implement policies to distort the trade competitiveness of their products is an important piece of the puzzle, and I am pleased that the Congressional leadership has agreed to reinstitute this needed policy."
The bi-partisan legislation is endorsed by the United States Chamber of Commerce.
Congressman McIntyre is a long time supporter of trade reforms that support the American worker and prevent American companies from unfair competition.
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The Honorable John Boehner The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker Democratic Leader
U.S. House of Representatives House Ways and Means Committee
H-232 The Capitol H-204 The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Eric Cantor The Honorable Steny Hoyer
Majority Leader Democratic Whip
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
H-329 The Capitol H-148 The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Speaker Boehner, Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader Cantor, and Democratic Whip Hoyer:
We write to urge you to act expeditiously to bring to the House floor legislation in response to the decision issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Court in GPX International Tire Corporation, et al. v. United States. This ruling would prevent the Commerce Department from applying tariffs to goods from countries including China that have been illegally subsidized.
We were pleased by Ways and Means Chairman Champ's statement acknowledging the need for legislation that clarifies congressional intent that countervailing duties can be applied to goods from nonmarket economies (NMEs) under U.S. law. We ask you to bring this legislation to a vote as soon as possible. As Congress works to help the economy recover, it is particularly imperative that all trade enforcement tools remain available to the federal agencies tasked with ensuring American businesses and workers compete on a level playing field.
The United States is already at a disadvantage to China because Beijing has demonstrated a willingness to pursue national policies that violate international trade law. American manufacturers have suffered as a result. China's Five Year Plans for the clean energy and paper sectors, for example, have resulted in expansive, illegal subsidies to the explicit detriment of American companies. In the paper sector alone, China provided more than $33.1 billion in subsidies from 2002 to 2009 and during that period overtook the U.S. as the world's largest producer of paper and paper products. American companies in these and other sectors rely on the countervailing duty (CVD) orders in place to combat these illicit subsidies and help them keep their doors open.
If Congress does not respond to the Court's ruling, American manufacturers' disadvantage will increase. There are currently 24 CVD orders in place against goods from NMEs: 23 target illegally subsidized goods from China and one of them targets goods from Vietnam. These orders ensure fair global competition for more than 230 U.S. companies and their workers in more than 200 congressional districts. Prohibiting the Commerce Department from imposing proportionate countervailing duties on goods from NMEs guarantees that these and other impacted American companies will continue to be at a competitive disadvantage to their Chinese counterparts.
In 2010 our trade deficit in goods with China reached a new record of $273 billion, a milestone expected to be passed in 2011. Without a complete set of tools to combat Beijing's persistent pattern of international trade law infringement, our trade imbalance will continue to skyrocket, and the number of American jobs sent offshore will continue to increase. Given the short time-line of the appeals process, there is not much time to address this. That is why we urge you to bring to the floor immediately legislation overturning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Court's decision so that it may be signed into law as soon as possible.
Thank you for your consideration of this letter. We look forward to working with you to ensure American companies and workers compete on a level playing field.
Sincerely,
Rep. Mike McIntyre
Rep. Michael Michaud
Rep. Steven LaTourette
Rep. Mark Critz
Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Rep. Daniel Lipinski
Rep. Tim Ryan
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter
Rep. Larry Kissell
Rep. Steve Stivers
Rep. Walter Jones
Rep. Reid Ribble
Rep. Adam Kinzinger
Rep. Peter Defazio
Rep. Tim Holden
Rep. Hank Johnson
Rep. Donald Manzullo
Rep. Bob Gibbs
Rep. Bill Johnson
Rep. Mike turner
Rep. Gene Green
Rep. Linda Sanchez
Rep. Tammy Baldwin
Rep. Jason Altmire
Rep. Thomas Petri
Rep. Betty Sutton
Rep. James Renacci
Rep. Chellie Pingree
Rep. Jim Cooper
Rep. Dale Kildee
Rep. Marcia Fudge
Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Rep. Tim Johnson
Rep. Gwen Moore
Rep. Dennis Kucinich
Rep. Nick Rahall
Rep. David McKinley
Rep. Hansen Clarke
Rep. Heath Shuler
Rep. Robert Aderholt
Rep. Louise Slaughter
Rep. Peter Visclosky
Rep. Robert Schilling
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