[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 74 (Thursday, May 26, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S3444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ROCKEFELLER:
  S. 1130. A bill to strengthen the United States trade laws and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I am introducing the 
Strengthening America's Trade Laws Act, legislation that will protect 
American businesses and workers by ensuring that they can compete on a 
level playing field with foreign companies.
  The legislation I am introducing today should be viewed as a 
placeholder for a more comprehensive updated bill that I plan on 
introducing after the recess. Given the potential for legislative 
action at any time on Trade Adjustment Assistance, the three pending 
Free Trade Agreements, and the continuing harm caused by illegally 
dumped foreign goods, I thought it was imperative that I introduce this 
bill today and move the discussion of our country's trade policy 
forward.
  The Strengthening America's Trade Laws Act allows the government to 
live up to its commitment to protect American businesses by allowing 
the businesses being harmed by unfairly subsidized imports to have a 
seat at the table in trade dispute proceedings. It also strengthens 
countervailing duty laws that are used to impose tariffs on goods from 
countries like China that are being unfairly subsidized.
  Importantly, my bill would prevent the World Trade Organization, WTO, 
from dictating American policy by mandating that Congress must approve 
of any regulatory change to American law that is meant to conform with 
an adverse WTO decision.
  This bill goes after countries that use currency manipulation to keep 
their prices artificially low by allowing the American government to 
treat this manipulation as an unfair subsidy that can be responded to 
with countervailing duties.
  My bill also allows a panel of judicial experts to review recent 
adverse WTO decisions to ensure that they were made correctly and that 
obligations are not being imposed on the United States that our 
government has not previously agreed to.
  These steps are important because businesses like those in my home 
state of West Virginia face a constant threat from foreign made goods 
that are being sold at prices well below cost in an effort to drive 
American businesses out of the marketplace altogether. In West 
Virginia, we know all too well the impact these unfair practices can 
have, as numerous manufacturing businesses have closed in recent years 
in response to these challenges.
  I have worked through the system to try to protect our employers, 
testifying numerous times before the International Trade Commission on 
behalf of West Virginia businesses, including our steel industry, in an 
effort to get the government to counter unfair subsidies and give 
American manufacturers a fighting chance in the global marketplace. It 
has become clear to me through the years though that the current 
protections are not strong enough and that more must be done to allow 
our businesses to compete. That is what I hope to accomplish with this 
bill. I am not asking for any unfair advantages for American 
businesses. I just want to allow them the opportunity to succeed on the 
merits of their ideas and their hard work.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this important 
legislation and thank the chair for allowing me to speak on this issue.
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