In her testimony before U.S. commerce and trade officials, Klobuchar called for stronger enforcement of trade laws to protect steelworkers, passage of her legislation to crack down on steel dumping, and for the implementation of stringent final duties in the three pending flat-rolled steel trade cases
After efforts from Klobuchar, earlier this year the Administration announced new actions to combat steel dumping
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Amy Klobuchar testified before U.S. commerce and trade officials as part of a two day hearing focused on the American steel industry. In her testimony, Klobuchar called for stronger enforcement of steel dumping laws to protect American workers, passage of her legislation to crack down on steel dumping, and for the implementation of stringent final duties in the three pending flat-rolled steel trade cases. After efforts from Klobuchar, earlier this year the Administration announced new actions to combat steel dumping.
“We have to make sure that the penalties for dumping steel into our markets are so severe these foreign companies will stop doing it,” said Klobuchar. “Protecting American workers and businesses means strengthening our enforcement against unfair trade practices by putting more inspectors at our ports and taking on the foreign companies who try and skirt our laws.”
Last month, the Department of Commerce announced new preliminary tariffs on imports of cold-rolled steel from seven different countries, including China. The preliminary tariffs on Chinese steel are set at 266 percent. Earlier this year, after efforts from Klobuchar, the Administration announced new actions to combat steel dumping. The new executive actions from the White House will add Customs and Border Patrol personnel to enforce our trade laws, step up inspections of steel imports at our ports of entry, and increase personnel at the Commerce Department to help ensure tariffs are enforced against those who dump steel in the U.S. The President also signed legislation that will provide additional tools to more aggressively enforce anti-dumping provisions under existing federal law.
Klobuchar is a leader in efforts to fight foreign steel dumping and provide support for our U.S. steelworkers and miners affected by recent layoffs. She met with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough on the Range in December and urged him to bring the concerns of Iron Rangers and all those affected by steel dumping directly to the president. She then invited Dan Hill, a laid-off steelworker from Eveleth who attended the meeting, to be her guest at the president’s State of the Union Address. Klobuchar and Senator Al Franken and Representative Rick Nolan have introduced legislation to crack down on illegal steel dumping by strengthening trade enforcement. Following consistent pressure from Klobuchar last year, the International Trade Commission voted to impose penalties on Mexican, Turkish, and Korean companies dumping steel in the U.S. In addition, she led a letter along with Franken and Nolan to successfully urge the U.S. Department of Labor to expedite approval of TAA petitions submitted by workers from the affected mining operations.
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