August 3, 2007

Dear Chairman Rangel and Chairman Levin

We are writing to urge you to bring legislation to the House floor that will aggressively address China's continued disregard for U.S. trade law and protect U.S. workers and manufacturers from the resulting unfair competition.

Last year, nearly one-third of the U.S.'s record $765 billion trade deficit resulted fromtrade with China. Our substantial and growing trade deficit with China has resulted in no small part due to China's continuing restrictive trade practices, such as its unwillingness to date to float its currency and its inability and unwillingness to protect intellectual property. Additionally, China currently represents 25 percent of all dumping cases before the World Trade Organization (WTO). Taken together , these actions place American workers, innovators and manufacturers at an unfair and decided competitive disadvantage.

Competition in a global market place will only benefit American companies and American workers if a clear set of rules is established and followed by the United States and our trading partners.  Unfortunately, too many of our industries and workers are unfairly being punished by a lax set of trading rules that overlooks injurious behavior by China and a depleted world arbiter.

Therefore, we urge you to bring legislation to the House floor that will assertivelychallenge the unfair trade policies of China and other nations not observing the rules of fair trade. The type of legislation under consideration in the Ways and Means Committee that would apply our anti-subsidy laws to non-market economies such as China, provide an effective remedy for currency manipulation and restore strength to our fair trade laws eroded by the WTO would be an important step towards restoring fair competition for American firms and workers. We pledge to work with you and the Committee to defend the integrity of U.S. trade laws and to deliver to our constituents the fairness in international trade that they have a right to expect.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, 

Jason Altmire, Zack Space, Michael Arcuri, Heath Shuler, John Hall, Paul Hodes, Nancy Boyda, Christopher Carney, Ron Klein, Chris Murphy, Patrick Murphy, Bruce Braley, Ciro Rodriguez, Betty Sutton, Joe Donnelly, Steve Kagen, Dave Loebsack, Harry Mitchell

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