USBIC wake-up call: Domestic manufacturers urge Congress to pass strong trade countermeasures

U.S. Business and Industry Council -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 6/17/2008 6:00:00 AM

WASHINGTON, D.C.: As the latest round of the Chinese-American Strategic Economic Dialogue begins, the U.S. Business and Industry Council (USBIC) urged Congress on Monday to de-fund future U.S. participation in the two-year-old talks and immediately pass a series of hard-hitting measures to combat what USBIC calls China’s damaging trade cheating, and protect Americans from China’s unsafe products.

According to USBIC President Kevin L. Kearns, whose organization represents 1,550 domestic manufacturers and other companies, “Any presidential candidate genuinely concerned about America’s working families and the beleaguered domestic industries employing them will endorse these actions as well. Instead of providing rebate-check handouts, our political leaders must give the American people their factories, labs, and jobs back.” 

Kearns called China “an economic rogue state—one that keeps stealing production, revenue, R&D, and jobs from our domestic manufacturers and their employees. Beijing’s American victims need their government’s help now. They can’t wait for a new president and Congress.” 

Since the Bush administration won’t act, Kearns adds, “Congress needs to wake up and take responsibility. It’s time for House and Senate leaders to display some legislative competence and build majorities for effective unilateral action on unfair and dangerous Chinese practices.” 

The Council urged Congress to:

• Immediately pass a resolution formally declaring the Strategic Economic Dialogue a failure, plus legislation to prevent the administration from spending any funds to prepare for or participate in the Dialogue’s next session, at year’s end;
• Pass the House and Senate bills that would make currency manipulation a countervailable subsidy under U.S. trade law. This three-year-old legislation has a long list of bipartisan cosponsors in the House, but House leaders refuse to act, and the Senate has dawdled;
• Pass an immediate ban on all imports of toys and other children’s products from China;
• Pass legislation requiring detailed labeling for imported processed food and drug products that would specify their ingredients and levels of content from China; and other countries lacking effective domestic regulatory systems;
• Pass legislation banning U.S. sales of internet surveillance hardware and software to China; and
• Significantly expand funding and staffing for China-specific counterespionage programs and anti-hacking efforts throughout the U.S. government.

Concludes Kearns, “Forcing the current president to veto such measures would send a powerful message to China’s leadership—and to the next occupant of the White House. The time is past for talk on China’s flagrant trade cheating and egregiously unsafe industrial practices. Now it’s time for action."