Collins wants to hold China’s feet to the fire over lobster trade promises

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) last week joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of her Maine colleagues in requesting information about China’s commitment to purchase lobster that’s included in the recently announced trade deal between the United States and China.

“The Maine lobster industry is absolutely integral to the economy of our state. To promote Chinese accountability and to aid in the enforcement of this provision, we write to urge you to make public additional details on China’s lobster purchase commitment, including the specific dollar value of China’s commitment,” Sen. Collins and her colleagues wrote in a Jan. 23 letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer.

The letter is also signed by U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jared Golden (D-ME).

The Maine delegation said their home-state’s lobster industry currently faces several threats, including the ongoing trade war with China and potential federal regulation changes proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to Sen. Collins’ office.

Regarding trade with China, the lawmakers reminded the USTR that the country “has a history of not upholding its trade agreements.”

“China has repeatedly broken its commitments under bilateral and multilateral agreements that it concluded as it acceded to the World Trade Organization,” according to their letter. “Indeed, these broken promises comprise the very basis upon which the president has rested his Chinese trade policy.”

Sen. Collins and the delegation wrote that “the United States must hold China accountable to the purchase commitments it made under the January 15 Agreement.”

They noted that knowing the exact dollar value of lobster that China has agreed to purchase could help independently verify whether the country “has met or has yet again shirked its trade commitments to the United States.”