WASHINGTON, DC - Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) today released the following statements after President Donald J. Trump instructed the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to begin a review of Chinese trade practices with the United States:
Ranking Member Neal:
“The theft of intellectual property and forcible transfer of proprietary technology perpetrated by China is an outrageous abuse that American companies have had to suffer, without recourse, for a very long time. Today’s instruction to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to review whether to undertake a Section 301 investigation into these practices is a first step in calling attention to this flagrantly unfair practice that China has been employing to its economic advantage at the expense of U.S. workers, companies, families, and the entire U.S. economy. If USTR launches an investigation, a Section 301 enforcement action would also be an important tool for calling China to task.
“I hope that the Administration would fully consult interested parties and stakeholders that could benefit from and be affected by any investigation. And I expect the Administration would consult closely with me and my colleagues in Congress before taking any further steps in this matter and in its China enforcement agenda more broadly. Given the enormous and potentially existential challenge that China poses to American competitiveness and the world trading system, a Section 301 investigation cannot be the only step that this Administration takes to try to address that challenge."
Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Pascrell:
“While today’s announcement could eventually lead to aggressive action against China, I am concerned it will lead to only another investigation and report. The Trump Administration has called for report after report on the detrimental practices of our trading partners but hasn’t actually done anything about it. The time for action is now. There are numerous other actions that the Trump Administration could and should take immediately. The President should call for the passage of my enforcement bill, The Jobs and Trade Competitiveness Act, which would provide new tools to ensure that our trading partners are playing by the rules; and he should use existing tools to enforce the labor and environmental commitments our current trading partners are violating. American workers are waiting."
