Protecting Ohio Jobs from Unfair Competition from China

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Last year Senator Portman and I introduced our Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 legislation, to update and strengthen our trade remedy laws, to support Ohio businesses and their workers that face unfair foreign competition from countries like China. And today we are one step closer to getting that bill to the president’s desk.

This month, the House passed its version of an American economic competitiveness bill, and it included Leveling the Playing Field 2.0.

I wrote the original Leveling the Playing Field Act and got it signed into law in 2015 to give U.S. businesses new tools to fight back against unfair trade practices. And it worked – it led to key wins for Ohio companies like Whirlpool and Ohio steel companies in major trade cases.

But Ohio companies and workers still face unfair foreign competition. China and our other competitors are constantly finding new ways to cheat and undermine American jobs. The Chinese government hasn’t stopped subsidizing its steel industry, and is always coming up with new ways to skirt the rules and distort the global market.

Too often, we’ve watched what are known as trade remedy orders put in place on unfair imports from one country, only to see the U.S. market flooded with dumped or subsidized imports of that same product from a different country. Sometimes it’s the exact same company – they just move production to get around the rules.

Our bill will help us fight back with new, innovative tools, and allow us to crack down on repeat offenders and serial cheaters.

Ohio companies and Ohio jobs are depending on us to get this done. Senator Portman and I working together on this, and we will push to make sure Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 is in any final bill the House and Senate negotiate.

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