Statement of Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) Executive Director Scott Paul on the Obama Administration's Chinese Auto Parts Trade Enforcement Action:
"President Obama is delivering a major boost to our nation's automotive sector workers and businesses today by holding China accountable for its cheating.
"For the past eight months, we have built a compelling case on the merits of moving forward with a trade enforcement action on Chinese auto parts and automobiles. We commend the Obama Administration for launching the case today.
"The facts in the case are indisputable. China is subsidizing its auto parts sector, blocking our exports, and causing significant harm to workers and businesses in our nation. Our auto assembly sector, now back on its feet, could be undercut by China's cheating, causing irreparable damage to the heart of America's productive economy. Auto parts makers in America have already seen the effects of 25 percent surges in Chinese imports over each of the past two years.
"We commend the 188 lawmakers in both parties who have stood with us on this case in calling for action. 1.6 million jobs in the U.S. auto parts sector are at risk. We now have a fighting chance to save and grow them."
BACKGROUND: The Alliance for American Manufacturing joined the United Steelworkers, Economic Policy Institute, and Stewart & Stewart on January 31 in releasing four comprehensive reports on Chinese subsidies and cheating on auto parts.
AAM Executive Director Scott Paul wrote op-eds calling for action on auto parts in a number of newspapers nationwide, including:
- Time to get tough with China, save New York’s auto jobs, Buffalo News, 4/22/2012
- Stop the Chinese surge: China subsidizes its auto parts, putting at risk Pennsylvania jobs, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 04/20/2012
- China's cheating puts Wisconsin jobs at risk, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 04/01/2012
- Cheating by China threatens Maryland jobs, Baltimore Sun, 03/28/2012
- Save Missouri's auto parts jobs, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 03/14/2012
- Getting tough with China to save Illinois auto jobs, Chicago Tribune, 03/09/2012
In a letter sent March 16, 2012, 188 Members of Congress urged the Obama Administration to move forward with an auto parts trade enforcement action.
Thousands of auto parts workers were already planning to deliver post cards to Capitol Hill and the White House this week to call for a level playing field.
The Alliance for American Manufacturing is a non-profit, non-partisan partnership formed in 2007 by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers to explore common solutions to challenging public policy topics such as job creation, infrastructure investment, international trade, and global competitiveness. For more information, please visit www.americanmanufacturing.org.