U.S. Representative Sandy Levin
12th District of Michigan

(Washington D.C.)- Two of Michigan's senior members of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee responsible for trade policy, today introduced new legislation to beef up U.S. enforcement of international trade laws. 
The bipartisan bill, introduced by U.S. Representatives Dave Camp (R-Midland) and Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak), mirrors bipartisan legislation introduced in the United States Senate by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Evan Bayh (D-IN).  The initiative would create a special trade prosecutor to seek out and bring complaints before the World Trade Organization against countries violating trade laws.

“Our companies and our workers can compete with anyone in the world, but they should not have to overcome the added hurdles put up by countries in blatant violation of our trade laws,” said U.S. Rep. Dave Camp.  “We need to get tougher with countries that are illegally subsidizing their products, ignoring patent laws or otherwise breaking the law.  The failure to do so is costing U.S. jobs.”

“Congress has armed the United States Trade Representative (USTR) with tools to protect U.S. manufacturers from unfairly traded goods at home and knock down barriers to our products overseas, but for whatever reason, the agency is reluctant to use them,” said U.S. Rep. Levin.  “This bill will charge one individual with the task of investigating foreign trade abuses and taking action by using any and all means within USTR’s power to level the playing field for U.S. companies.”  
“Illegal Chinese and Japanese trade policies are destroying U.S. industries, costing us jobs, and hurting our middle class,” Stabenow said. “Our manufacturers and workers need a strong ally, and a chief trade prosecutor will have the power to stand up for our manufacturers and crack down on trade violations that cost U.S. jobs. I look forward to working with Congressmen Camp and Levin to pass this important bipartisan legislation.”

Both Camp and Levin cited China and Japan as prime targets for greater enforcement noting specifically China’s continual undervaluing of its currency; illegal government subsidies and interest-free loans to its industries; and turning a blind eye to an industry totaling $26.7 million in sales of counterfeit U.S. auto parts, which particularly hurts Michigan’s economy. They also noted Japan’s currency interventions and maintaining non-tariff barriers that severely limit the ability of U.S. exporters to access the Japanese market, which contributed to a massive U.S. auto and auto parts trade deficit reaching nearly $47 billion in 2004. 

Failure to enforce our trade agreements has cost the United States over a million jobs over the past 15 years in nearly every area of our economy, including auto manufacturing, agriculture, textiles, and furniture – more than 51,000 of these jobs in the State of Michigan were lost because of China alone, according to the lawmakers. 

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