Walorski, LaHood lead colleagues in calling for relief from China’s unfair trade practices

U.S. Reps. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) led their U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Republican colleagues, Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and 139 bipartisan members in urging the Biden administration to provide American businesses with additional economic relief from Section 301 tariffs on imports from China. 

In a Jan. 20 letter sent to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai, the lawmakers expressed “strong support” for establishing a comprehensive and transparent exclusion process that would allow U.S. producers, manufacturers and importers to request relief, on a case-by-case basis, from all Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports “in an effort to address China’s unfair trade practices.”

“We sincerely believe that such a process is a critical component of a worker-centric trade agenda, given that many Americans work in industries that are struggling to adjust their supply chains while remaining competitive with global competitors and adapting to the pandemic that continues to threaten their lives and livelihoods,” the lawmakers wrote.

They pointed out that the current Section 301 tariffs have broadly impacted U.S. businesses in the manufacturing, agriculture, fishing, retail, energy, technology, and services industries.

“The lapse — and continued absence — of critical exclusions have deepened the challenges for businesses and their workers, hindering efforts to relocate supply chains in sectors ranging from new-energy vehicles to semiconductors by raising the costs of critical inputs, components and machinery,” the members wrote. “These increased costs are undermining the competitiveness of American manufacturing workers whose inputs are now more expensive compared to those made by foreign competitors.” 

Rep. Walorski, Rep. LaHood, and their colleagues said they support both Tai’s recent announcement for a new exclusion process and the USTR’s willingness to consider additional exclusion processes. 

“China must be held accountable for commitments it has made to the United States and for its state-centered and nonmarket trade policies that have harmed American workers and the rules-based international trading system,” they wrote. “We share the view that we need a holistic and pragmatic approach to confront future challenges from China and defend our economic interests against unfair competition.”