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

(Washington D.C.)- U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, made the following statement in response to the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) release of its "Top-to-Bottom" review of U.S - China trade policy: 

“USTR’s so called ‘Top-to-Bottom’ review fails to get to the bottom of the problems in our trade relations with China.   The report states that there has been increased, economic engagement with China, now the world’s third largest trading partner as was clearly contemplated when China entered the WTO and Congress extended Permanent Normal Trading Relations (PNTR). 

“What is missing is a hard-headed analysis as to why this engagement has been so one-sided, and what that means for jobs for American workers and opportunities for American businesses – beyond the price of consumer goods from China. 

“The Administration fails to account for China’s manipulation of currency and refuses to provide relief against import surges from China under the special safeguard provision included in the PNTR legislation.  The International Trade Commission has found that a domestic industry has been injured by import surges from China in four cases, and the Administration has denied relief in every one.  

“The report states that ‘important gaps remain in China’s implementation of its WTO commitments,’ but does not address why this Administration has failed miserably to use the annual WTO review, again called for in the PNTR legislation, to confront China about closing these gaps. 

“All of these failures have resulted in an atmosphere of acquiescence, allowing expanded trade to become too much a one-way street.”  

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