Congresswoman Terri Sewell issued the following statement after voting for the passage of the conference report to H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015.

“The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act will help protect American industries, particularly steel, from unfair trade practices and give them the necessary tools to seek timely and effective remedies. American steel makers and manufacturers have been burdened by illegally traded imports for far too long, costing the industry billions of dollars a year. Steel plants across Alabama’s 7^th Congressional District have had to cut pay or lay off workers because foreign trading partners refuse to pay their customs duties which are intended to offset harmful subsidies and dumping. Today’s vote sends a clear message to our foreign trading partners that the United States will no longer tolerate the evasion of lawfully owed duties.

“In addition, this bill ends the import of goods made from child and forced labor, increases de minimis customs thresholds, establishes and funds the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center which will assist agencies in coordinating efforts to eliminates trade loopholes, strengthens the Treasury’s evaluation of currency manipulators, and creates the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Program to help small businesses reach new markets. While I had hoped that the conference report would have included provisions to allow injured industries and workers to request that currency manipulation be investigated as an illegal export subsidy under our current trade laws, I will continue to push for inclusion of this critical provision in future legislation.

“I look forward to the President signing this important legislation into law and continuing to work with Congress to promote enforcement measures that strengthen our nation’s trade laws and ensure fair trade between our foreign trading partners.   

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