US Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown have written to the President of the European Parliament and expressed their concerns over possible changes to the way Chinese imports are treated by the European Commission under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, and how those modifications could limit the United States’ ability to pursue effective trade remedies.
The senators requested that the Parliament consult with the US Congress and collaborate on the most effective response to China’s trade practices.
The Committee to Support US Trade Laws (CSUSTL) commends Portman and Brown for their bi-partisan effort to ensure that there is a unified treatment of China as a non-market economy for trade purposes.
Portman and Brown’s letter states, “China’s economy remains state-controlled, state-owned, and state-influenced. This state control has contributed to many global market distortions.”
Thomas M. Sneeringer, president of CSUSTL commented, “It is important for the United States and the European Union to co-ordinate on our efforts against China’s unfair trade practices,” he said.
The CSUSTL is an organisation of manufacturers, workers, and others dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of US trade laws. Its members span all major industrial sectors, including manufacturing, technology, agriculture, and mining (companies, associations, and worker representatives) and depend on strong trade laws to ensure that they can compete on an equal footing with foreign competitors who dump to gain advantage in the US market, or benefit from government subsidies.