Low grade foreign government-subsidized steel isn’t the only commodity being illegally dumped into the U.S. marketplace costing us thousands of good paying jobs. Last week, four Republican colleagues joined me in urging the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to crack down on massive illegal dumping of foreign government-subsidized copier and commercial paper. Specifically, we are asking them to impose tough countervailing and anti-dumping duties against China, Indonesia, Brazil, Australia and Portugal.
The evidence is clear and unmistakable. Between 2012 and 2014, those five nations nearly doubled their share of the U.S. paper market from 9.6 to 17.4 percent. That spike is primarily due to the illegal dumping of copy and commercial paper. Imports of those products rose by almost 72 percent over just those two years.
As a result of these trade law violations, U.S. manufacturers f.ind themselves at a severe competitive disadvantage as they fight to stay in business. Two years ago, the International Falls plant was forced to shut down two machines and eliminate 265 jobs. Across Minnesota, paper mills have closed in Brainerd and Sartell, with hundreds more layoffs in Cloquet and Duluth. All told, more than 2,500 U.S. workers in the uncoated paper industry have lost their jobs since 2011; four plants that manufacture those items have closed and another seven have reduced capacity.
This growing crisis in America’s paper industry also directly affects our northern Minnesota timber industry. And it’s more evidence of the need to not only fix our badly broken trade enforcement system; but also to reject so called “free” trade agreements like the Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) that eliminate tariffs and open the flood gates to more low-grade foreign steel, paper and other knock-offs of high quality American manufactured goods. We expect a final decision by the ITC on paper sanctions by February 20.
Meanwhile, our fight against the TPP and illegal dumping of all foreign government-subsidized products will continue.
Congressman Rick Nolan
Washington, D.C.
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