[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 55 (Monday, May 8, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E667-E668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           CHINA AND THE ITC

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 8, 2000

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a serious rash of 
problems revolving around the enforcement of our trade laws. This body, 
in concurrence with the rules of the WTO, has enacted laws to ensure 
fair and equitable trade for American industry and its workers. 
Unfortunately, our own International Trade Commission appears to have 
decided to disregard these laws, as recently demonstrated in its 
decision regarding the dumping of cold-rolled steel into the United 
States and its seemingly rubber-stamp approach to Sunset determinations 
whereby foreign unfair traders can have the offsetting duties--which 
were applied only after they were found to be engaged in unfair trade--
erased just by showing up at the ITC and asking.
  As troubling as the situation is now, I'm afraid I can see far 
greater problems on the horizon--problems that quite possibly will 
accompany China's accession to the WTO. Congress has been asked to 
accept that China's entry into the WTO contains meaningful protections 
against unfair trade practices by Chinese companies. In light of the 
ITC's recent failure to correctly apply the U.S. Trade laws and to 
effectively respond to massive foreign unfair trade, I am losing 
confidence in our ability to counter unfair trade from China and other 
countries.
  This matter is deeply troubling to me. The domestic steel industry 
has suffered through massive dumping of foreign steel in the U.S. 
market over the last two years. The Administration responded by 
declaring a policy of ``zero tolerance'' for unfair trade. The Congress 
provided the necessary funding to the Commerce Department to 
investigate this unfair trade and Commerce did its job. It found that, 
in the case of cold-rolled steel for example, that foreign producers 
were illegally dumping by as much as 80 percent.
  The ITC, however, did not do its job. The ITC determined that dumped 
steel imports more than doubled during the period of investigation and 
consistently undersold domestic steel. It also found that, during a 
period of record demand, the U.S. steel industry experienced 
significant revenue losses, with several major steel producers even 
forced into bankruptcy. Nevertheless, the ITC inexplicably determined 
that this massive dumping of cold-rolled steel was not even a cause of 
this injury to the domestic industry. Without a determination of 
injury--which is irrefutable in these cases--U.S. industry and its 
workers have no form of relief and nowhere to turn. As legislators and 
appropriators, it is our responsibility to reevaluate the ITC and 
whether it is properly managing its resources and correctly adhering to 
Congressional intent.
  Just last year the Administration committed to ``zero tolerance'' for 
unfair trade, yet this commitment apparently doesn't extend to the ITC. 
I'm tired of promises of ``zero tolerance'' and think it's time we 
insist on some action. Before we allow the Administration to sell us an 
agreement with China that promises to benefit America, let's insist on 
some proof that promises are sometimes answered.

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