Update: Trade Adjustment Assistance Bill With Antidumping/Countervailing Measures Approved by U.S. Senate and House
06/25/2015 - Update: The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Trade Adjustment Assistance bill by a vote of 286-138.
The measure will now proceed to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign the measure soon.
Earlier story continues below:
The U.S. Senate voted to approve the extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program on 24 June.
The bill included critical legislation that would give U.S. steelmakers more tools to combat the rise of unfairly traded imports.
The Leveling the Playing Field Act, sponsored by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), will allow U.S. companies to petition the Commerce Department in response to trade violations such as import dumping and countervailing duties.
The American Iron and Steel Institute applauded the vote in a press release posted to their website.
Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI, said, “The Senate passage of trade remedy measures as part of the trade preferences/TAA bill is an important step forward toward improving the effectiveness of our antidumping and countervailing duty laws. In light of the continued surge in steel imports into the U.S. market, it is critical that our trade laws be strengthened as soon as possible. While these provisions are also included in the customs bill that has passed both the House and the Senate, inclusion of these provisions in the preferences/TAA bill will allow these amendments to go to the House for final approval tomorrow, and hopefully be sent to the President by the end of this week.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of the many Senators who have championed these trade law improvements in the Senate, in particular, Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who led the charge. We look forward to a successful vote in the House which would send the bill to the President to be signed into law, strengthening the tools available to the industry to combat unfair trade,” Gibson stated.
Earlier story continues below:
The U.S. Senate voted to approve the extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program on 24 June.
The bill included critical legislation that would give U.S. steelmakers more tools to combat the rise of unfairly traded imports.
The Leveling the Playing Field Act, sponsored by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), will allow U.S. companies to petition the Commerce Department in response to trade violations such as import dumping and countervailing duties.
The American Iron and Steel Institute applauded the vote in a press release posted to their website.
Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI, said, “The Senate passage of trade remedy measures as part of the trade preferences/TAA bill is an important step forward toward improving the effectiveness of our antidumping and countervailing duty laws. In light of the continued surge in steel imports into the U.S. market, it is critical that our trade laws be strengthened as soon as possible. While these provisions are also included in the customs bill that has passed both the House and the Senate, inclusion of these provisions in the preferences/TAA bill will allow these amendments to go to the House for final approval tomorrow, and hopefully be sent to the President by the end of this week.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of the many Senators who have championed these trade law improvements in the Senate, in particular, Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who led the charge. We look forward to a successful vote in the House which would send the bill to the President to be signed into law, strengthening the tools available to the industry to combat unfair trade,” Gibson stated.
