Obama Enforces Trade Laws on China Tire Imports
President Obama took decisive action yesterday to provide relief to the domestic consumer tire industry in response to surging exports of tires from China. His actions will bring relief to many workers and their families and reverse course after eight years of neglect of trade laws by the Bush administration.
In July, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in favor of a United Steelworkers (USW) petition filed under Section 421 of the Trade Act of 1974. The ITC found that tariff relief was needed to urgently reduce the negative impact of those tire imports. Obama’s decision imposes an increased duty on tires from China for three years. The duties are 35 percent in the first year, then 30 percent and 25 percent in each of the following years.
Tell Policymakers Why Colombia Free Trade Is a Bad Idea
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After eight years of being pushed out of discussions over bad trade agreements, America’s working people now have a chance to personally let policymakers know what they really think about one of the most controversial trade deals.
In an announcement in the July 29 Federal Register, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) asks for comments on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. USTR is conducting a review of labor-related issues in the context of the agreement and is seeking “comment from the public to assist the USTR in working with the Colombian government to secure continued progress in ensuring that Colombia’s workers can fully exercise their fundamental labor rights.”
Written comments are due by noon, Sept. 15, 2009. Comments should be submitted electronically online at www.regulations.gov. For alternatives to online submissions, contact Gloria Blue at 202-395-3475.
Obama’s New Trade Enforcement Measures a Welcome First Step
The Obama administration unveiled new trade enforcement measures aimed at saving jobs and creating new jobs in the United States by leveling the global playing field for American workers and businesses.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, speaking today at a U.S. Steel plant in Braddock, Pa., near Pittsburgh, said the administration is committed to better enforcement of America’s trade laws, including workers’ rights around the world.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney praised the commitment to better oversight and enforcement of trade laws.
This is a welcome and long-overdue initiative, and we look forward to working with USTR, Commerce and Labor, among others, to identify and address unfair trade practices that disadvantage domestic producers and workers.
We hope this is only a first installment in President Obama’s pledge to reform our flawed trade policies, however. Enforcement is crucial, but we also need to revisit and strengthen our trade policies and trade laws if we are to rebuild our economy with a vibrant and thriving manufacturing sector.
U.S., European Union File Complaint Over China’s Trade Restrictions
The Obama administration and the European Union (EU) announced yesterday they plan to jointly file a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China’s trade restrictions on exports of key raw materials used to manufacture products such as baseball bats, contact lenses and plumbing fixtures.
When China joined the WTO in 2001, it committed to remove the export restrictions on the raw materials. The export restraints are significant because China is the largest global producer of many of the raw materials in question—bauxite, coke, zinc, silicon metal, silicon carbide, fluorspar, yellow phosphorous, magnesium and manganese.
