A new bipartisan bill holding China and other bad actors accountable for unfair trade practices has been introduced again in Congress.
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) reintroduced H.R. 1284, the Fighting Trade Cheats Act, on Feb. 13. If passed, the legislation would allow U.S. manufacturers to sue foreign producers for customs fraud. The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and 10 other lawmakers.
“The Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly shown a blatant disregard for trade agreements while stealing American jobs,” said Bost. “We’re strengthening our trade laws to give our manufacturers the support they need to stand up to unfair trade practices. This America First legislation sends a clear message to foreign competitors who break our trade laws: harm American workers, and you will face serious consequences.”
The bill would provide the necessary updates to existing American trade laws, officials said, as well as the penalties for violating them. Bost’s bill more than doubles the penalties currently in place, while providing a serious deterrent for bad actors looking to undermine American manufacturers. The legislation also includes a new five-year prohibition on importing products from known violators.
“It should come as no surprise that China has targeted American manufacturing by illegally circumventing American trade laws,” Charlie Hartman, General Counsel at McWane, Inc., said. “What is surprising is that such circumvention has become so commonplace that companies are openly advertising how to flout American trade laws on the internet. President Trump has made the trade imbalance a priority for his administration, as he rightly should.”