Young, Johnson offer bipartisan, bicameral Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act

Toward helping to level the playing field for American workers, U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) on June 7 introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would establish the new concept of “successive investigations” to improve how effectively the U.S. trade remedy system responds to repeat offenders.

“A robust domestic steel and aluminum industry is critical to creating American jobs, strengthening our economy, and protecting our national security,” Rep. Johnson said. “We can’t wait any longer to act. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to ensure this bipartisan bill becomes law.”

Sen. Young signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act, S. 1856, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and 11 other original cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Rep. Johnson cosponsored the same-named H.R. 3882, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL).

If enacted, the measure would amend current law to improve the administration of anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws and would respond to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which provides Chinese government subsidies for products made in other countries, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.

“Our bipartisan bill will protect American jobs and combat China’s unfair trade practices,” Sen. Young said. “China has distorted the free market by dumping undervalued products and subsidizing industries, actions designed to harm American businesses and workers. 

“This legislation will help level the playing field to ensure the United States can outcompete the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.

“China’s communist regime continues taking deliberate steps that are hurting American workers and our economy by dumping steel, aluminum, and other products on the global markets with no repercussions. That must end,” added Rep. Johnson. “This bipartisan legislation will hold China accountable for these actions by ensuring that U.S. industries and the Department of Commerce have needed tools to seek relief from China’s illegal actions.”

If enacted, the legislation would provide the U.S. Department of Commerce with more tools to stop circumvention tactics by creating a successive investigation, which improves the effectiveness of the trade remedy law to combat repeat offenders by making it easier for petitioners to bring new cases when production moves to another country, the summary says.

The measure also would provide expedited timelines for successive investigations and new factors for the International Trade Commission to consider about the relationship between recently completed trade cases and successive trade cases for the same imported product, and impose statutory requirements for anti-circumvention inquiries to clarify the process and timeline, among other provisions.

The American Iron and Steel Institute and the United Steelworkers endorsed the measure.