WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) reintroduced the Leveling the Playing Field Act, which would strengthen enforcement of trade laws and strengthen U.S. industries’ ability to fight back against unfair foreign trade practices.
“Trade enforcement is critical to preventing more layoffs, like those we’ve seen recently in the steel sector, and preventing American jobs from being sent overseas,” said Brown. “The Leveling the Playing Field Act will restore strength to our nation’s trade laws, fight back against unfair trade, and ensure that American companies and workers can compete in a fair marketplace.”
This week, Brown met with Doug Polk, Vice President of Industry Affairs for Vallourec USA –which has a presence in Youngstown – to discuss the negative impact of steel imports on the domestic steel industry, including the impact of dumping.
The Leveling the Playing Field Act would restore strength to antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) statutes that allow businesses and workers in the United States to petition the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission (ITC) when foreign producers sell goods in the U.S. below market price or receive illegal subsidies. Specifically the bill would:
Brown has been a leading advocate in the Senate for fair trade that helps American workers and manufacturers. Earlier this year, Brown led a bipartisan group of senators in introducing legislation that would address currency manipulation – another tool used by countries like China to cheat trade law. The Currency Undervaluation Investigation Act would reform and enhance oversight of currency exchange rates to hold counties accountable when they manipulate their currency.
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