WASHINGTON (December 14)  – Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6) today called for a tougher U.S. stand on Chinese dumping following China’s decision to slap harsh subsidy and tariff duties on American-made cars. 

“Trade is not a one-way street. China cannot have it both ways by blocking our exports while they evade U.S. trade laws and stonewall about how their companies have exported defective drywall that has driven innocent families from their homes. In response to China’s announcement today, I am calling on Congress and the Administration to take a stronger stand against illegal and unscrupulous trade practices that are costing jobs in Alabama and across our country,” said Congressman Bachus. 

 Bachus today wrote a letter to new U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary John Bryson seeking immediate enforcement of stricter penalties on the dumping of steel wire and other products by China. A coalition of American manufacturers that includes M&B Metal Products of Leeds and Vulcan Threaded Products of Pelham has estimated that the failure to aggressively collect duties is threatening to put U.S. producers out of business and costs the Treasury Department at least $84 million a year.

" In light of China’s announcement today, I am requesting the Department to explain what it intends to do immediately about the steel wire product issue that is putting U.S. producers under severe stress and about the repeated evasion of international antidumping and countervailing duty laws,” the letter from Bachus stated.        

 In the House, Bachus is a lead sponsor of the Enforcing and Reducing Circumvention and Evasion (ENFORCE) Act, which would speed up U.S. government investigations into cases where China is circumventing trade laws. He is working with other sponsors to move the legislation through the House Ways and Means Committee.

 On the drywall issue, Bachus recently met with the Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Inez Moore Tenenbaum, about holding Chinese companies accountable for producing contaminated building materials that have driven families in Alabama and other states from their homes with limited recourses for just compensation. Bachus, who has been meeting for months with homeowners and government officials on the problem, said the Chinese government should not be allowed to provide what amounts to a liability shield for the offending producers. 

  “If you sell defective products to American consumers, you should be liable for them. There has been almost a complete lack of responsiveness from Chinese officials on this basic issue of accountability, which has wide-ranging implications for other contaminated products foisted on unsuspecting Americans. A remedy for contaminated drywall needs to be a priority in the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s discussion with their counterparts in China and further delay and stonewalling is not an acceptable response,” Bachus said.

In his call for a review of U.S. trade policy today, Bachus also noted that American manufacturers of ductile iron pipe have reported seeing a proliferation in dumped overseas products, principally from India. American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) and McWane, Inc. of Birmingham are domestic producers of the product.

 "Trade is important to Alabama. Our companies play by the rules. It cannot be tolerated when competitors evade the rules and cost law-abiding American companies sales and jobs. The answer is not protectionism, which would ultimately jeopardize the many jobs in Alabama that are export-dependent, but on swift and certain actions that deter illegal dumping,” Bachus concluded.

To view the letter of Congressman Bachus to Secretary Bryson, click here.

To view the letter of Congressman Bachus to Chairman Tenenbaum, click here.