New Democrat Coalition Chairman Ron Kind’s Statement on Customs Bill Becoming Law
Washington, DC – Today, New Democrat Coalition Chairman Ron Kind attended the bill signing at the White House for H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act.
“I was honored to be present today as President Obama signed this important piece of legislation into law. It is the responsibility of the United States to lead the way in setting labor standards on the products we accept. This legislation becoming law is a step in the right direction for ending the exploitation of workers around the world. Not only is this legislation the right and moral thing to do it will also help our workers to compete in the global market place,” Chairman Kind stated.
New Dems including Chairman Kind pushed for the legislation as necessary to strengthen enforcement of U.S. trade laws and make American goods and services more competitive around the world. Earlier today, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman announced the U.S. won a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute against India over its discrimination against solar energy technology exported from the U.S. In the future, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act will make it easier for the U.S. to take action against India and other countries that discriminate against American-made goods.
The bill contained multiple bipartisan priorities, including:
· The Full ENFORCE Act, which makes it easier to act against trade cheats
· An expansion of the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Program to help small businesses reach new markets
· More tools to prevent currency manipulation that distorts trade and makes American goods less competitive overseas
· The creation of the Trade Enforcement Trust Fund, which will provide dedicated resources for enforcing labor rights and environmental protections abroad
· A provision authored by Rep. Kind that closes an 85-year loophole that allowed the importation of goods produced using slave labor
Going forward, this legislation will support American consumers and help ensure our trade agreements live up to 21st century standards.
###
Next Article Previous Article