Source: United States Senator for Ohio Rob Portman
March 11, 2022 | Press Releases
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to the International Trade Commission urging them to assertively enforce U.S. trade remedy law as it relates to Russia. Given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the senators want to ensure that the United States is fully enforcing U.S. law against Russia.
“Similar to China, Russia is a systematic abuser of international trade rules. Russia has used trade as a weapon to coerce its neighbors, taking advantage of the dependence other countries have on its exports,” wrote the senators.
“Given Russia’s scofflaw behavior, including its manipulation of trade flows in pursuit of malign strategic objectives and exceptional involvement of the state in the domestic economy, we ask the Commission to take into account these factors in cases involving Russia. It is important for the Commission to ensure full enforcement of our trade remedy laws, giving full weight to the issues discussed above,” they continued.
The senators’ Leveling the Playing Field 2.0, which they introduced last April, will strengthen U.S. trade remedy laws and ensure they remain effective tools to fight back against unfair trade practices and protect American workers. The senators’ legislation would establish the new concept of “successive investigations” to improve the effectiveness of the U.S. trade remedy system in responding to repeat offenders and serial cheaters, helping to level the playing field for American workers.
The full letter can be found here or below.
Dear Chair Kearns and Vice-Chair Stayin:
We write to urge the U.S. International Trade Commission to assertively enforce U.S. trade remedy law as it relates to Russia.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine aims an arrow at the heart of the international order, and represents the greatest threat to peace and stability in Europe since World War II. Moreover, this invasion—of a sovereign democracy, no less—portends Russia’s larger ambitions to reestablish hegemony over Eastern Europe. The United States and its allies are rightly responding with broad, coordinated trade sanctions against Russia, both to deter further aggression, and to ensure that the United States not strengthen Russia’s economy, which is the engine of that aggression.
Similar to China, Russia is a systematic abuser of international trade rules. Russia has used trade as a weapon to coerce its neighbors, taking advantage of the dependence other countries have on its exports. Moreover, Russia’s economy is dominated by the government. According to Russian government sources, the state’s share of the economy may be as high as 70 percent. And just a few months ago, in December 2021, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative found that Russia has “continued its trajectory of an economy moving away from the guiding principles of the WTO.”
In import injury investigations, the Commission is required to consider “all relevant economic factors which have a bearing on the state of the industry in the United States.” Given Russia’s scofflaw behavior, including its manipulation of trade flows in pursuit of malign strategic objectives and exceptional involvement of the state in the domestic economy, we ask the Commission to take into account these factors in cases involving Russia. It is important for the Commission to ensure full enforcement of our trade remedy laws, giving full weight to the issues discussed above.
We thank you for your consideration of our request.
Sincerely,
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