May 27,2021

Crapo Secures Inclusion of the Trade Act of 2021 in China Bill

Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, secured inclusion of the Trade Act of 2021 into the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act.  The amendment was adopted by an overwhelming bipartisan majority, 91-4.  Prior to the vote, Senator Crapo delivered remarks on the Senate Floor describing the bipartisan agreement he had reached with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon).

“This is not just an amendment on one topic, this is an entire title—the Finance Committee’s title—and the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Wyden, and I have worked together for months to identify that intersection between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate on trade policy,” Crapo said.  “This strong trade package will help stand up our efforts in pushing back against China in one of the most critical arenas that we face – trade, our economy, and working against the very nefarious activities that China is engaged in to try to undercut us economically, and to undercut our American companies in our trade relationship.”   

The Trade Act of 2021 provides a comprehensive approach to combat China’s manufacturing imbalances, threats to free and fair trade, and illicit activity which undermine America’s leadership in innovation.  The bill levels the playing field for American consumers and companies, including workers, farmers, fishers and families by taking aim at China’s worst practices.  The legislation represents a bipartisan approach into a Senate-wide effort to ensure the United States is positioned to compete on a fair playing field globally, especially with China.

The bill text is available HERE.

The full text of Senator Crapo’s remarks is below.

Senate amendment 1562 is an example of the bipartisanship that can be achieved if we put in the hard work to work out the details and the differences between us on very critical issues.

This is not just an amendment on one topic, this is an entire title—the Finance Committee’s title—and the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Wyden, and I have worked together for months to identify that intersection between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate on trade policy. 

This strong trade package will help stand up our efforts in pushing back against China in one of the most critical arenas that we face – trade, our economy, and working against the very nefarious activities that China is engaged in to try to undercut us economically, and to undercut our American companies in our trade relationship. 

Senator Wyden and I worked hard together to get this done, and I’m glad that we now have a package that can be put forward.  As I said, it’s not just one provision—it’s an entire trade title. Let me summarize just some of the things that are in it:

It provides a comprehensive approach to combat China’s manufacturing imbalances, threats to free and fair trade, and illicit activity which undermine America’s leadership in innovation. This legislation will level the playing field for American consumers and companies, including workers, farmers, fishers and families by taking aim at China’s worst practices. The amendment itself carries a bipartisan approach into a Senate-wide effort to ensure the United States is positioned effectively to compete on a fair playing field globally, especially with China.

It bolsters efforts to prohibit goods made with forced labor from reaching the United States by strengthening our Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement efforts, and through better use of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP).It provides modernized trade enforcement tools to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to address anti-competitive digital trade and censorship practices like China’s Great Firewall, by requiring the USTR to identify trading partners that disrupt digital trade.

It appoints a USTR official to oversee information communication technology; and, providing advance notice and text of proposals for any digital trade agreement 5 days before they are tabled, to facilitate our efforts here in Congress to oversee effective trade policy.

It requires a review of trade and essential supplies, including the sources of imports and an analysis of any vulnerabilities, as well as additional tools for businesses in the United States seeking reliable suppliers.

It strengthens oversight over U.S. trade policy by providing an inspector general to the USTR, and by ensuring the application of section 301 tariffs related to China are calibrated to provide the necessary leverage to support American competition while ensuring U.S. competitiveness in manufacturing.

It reauthorizes the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) and an improved Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) that will promote human rights, the environment, women’s economic empowerment, the rule of law and digital trade, and restarts and reforms the Section 301 product-exclusion process.

These things might sound complicated, but it’s our way of standing up our American competitors in a very anti-competitive environment dealing with China.

Expands the duties of the Interagency Center on Trade Implementation, Monitoring and Enforcement to include investigations of practices, diffuse impacts on the economy and workers of the U.S. or systemic impacts on the resiliency of multiple critical domestic supply chains. Standing up and building out our supply chains is critical in this economic competition.

Requires the USTR to initiate talks with the Quad countries to develop a strategy on critical minerals to counter China’s dominant share of that global supply.  It requires CBP to submit a report to Congress on achieving supply chain transparency. CBP is seeking greater supply chain transparency to address merchandise made with forced labor and counterfeits, through its 21st Century Customs Framework initiative.

Requires the USTR to brief Congress on the findings of a forthcoming report by the Comptroller General of the United States related to the 301 exclusion process.

Directs the USTR to enter into negotiations with allies to stop importation of goods made with stolen intellectual property into the U.S. and allied countries.  The theft of American intellectual property is becoming critical to our ability to be effectively competitive against China.

Madame President, this list goes on. This is a major, Finance Committee title that will significantly strengthen the United States’ competitiveness in response to the malign activities that we continuously see growing from China. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this important amendment. 

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