The U.S. House Judiciary Committee last week unanimously passed a bipartisan bill proposed by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) to strengthen the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) enforcement against trade-related crimes.
The Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2024, H.R. 9151, which Rep. Hinson sponsored on July 25 with 13 original cosponsors, now heads to the full chamber for action.
“Committee passage of my bipartisan Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act is a significant step forward and important victory for American workers,” Rep. Hinson said. “Communist China has blatantly violated U.S. trade laws and ripped off American workers without consequences for too long, gutting rural manufacturing towns and enabling CCP [Chinese Communist Party] forced labor.
“This bipartisan bill will ensure we finally crack down on Communist China’s illicit trade practices so that we can reshore American manufacturing,” she added.
If enacted, H.R. 9151 would establish a new task force or similar structure within the DOJ’s Criminal Division to investigate and prosecute trade-related crimes, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmaker.
Additionally, H.R. 9151 would improve nationwide responses to trade-related offenses by providing training and technical assistance to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, expanding investigations and prosecutions, and allowing for parallel criminal and civil enforcement actions, the summary says.
“This excellent bipartisan bill will protect U.S. companies and workers by strengthening our country’s efforts to prosecute trade crimes, including fraud, duty evasion, and shipping from other countries to avoid our laws,” said Rep. Moolenaar, an original cosponsor along with U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), among others.
H.R. 9151 also would require the U.S. Attorney General to submit an annual report to Congress assessing the DOJ’s efforts, statistics on trade-related crimes, and fund utilization, states the summary.
“For years, the CCP’s predatory trade policies have violated American trade laws and taken advantage of American companies, workers, and consumers through trade crimes like dumping, duty evasion, and fraud,” Rep. Krishnamoorthi said. “The bipartisan passage of our bill today through the Judiciary Committee is a critical step toward holding perpetrators criminally liable for these illegal activities.”