{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140112002209/http://www.brown.senate.gov:80/newsroom/press/release/sens-brown-and-portman-reps-kaptur-and-stivers-urge-us-trade-rep-to-maintain-protections-for-ohio-glass-makers-from-foreign-competition-in-trade-agreements", "Sens. Brown and Portman, Reps. Kaptur and Stivers Urge U.S. Trade Rep. to Maintain Protections for Ohio Glass Makers from Foreign Competition in Trade Agreements", "2013-12-11", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Brown, Portman, Kaptur, and Stivers Urge USTR to Protect Ohio Based Glass Tableware Makers like Toledo\u2019s Libbey Inc. and Lancaster\u2019s Anchor Hocking Co. in TPP and TTIP Negotiations\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 11, 2013\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH), and U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) and Steve Stivers (OH-15) urged the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to maintain protections for Ohio based glass tableware makers like Toledo\u2019s Libbey Inc. and Lancaster\u2019s Anchor Hocking Co. from foreign competitors in ongoing free trade zone negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreements.\n\u201cWe urge your continued support for the domestic glass tableware industry\u2019s import-sensitive treatment,\u201d Brown, Portman, Kaptur, and Stivers said. \u201cThis issue is of crucial importance to workers in a number of states including Ohio, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. The products of the domestic glassware production sector have been placed in the category of import-sensitive products for more than 30 years. This treatment, and the tariffs that are in place, recognize the sensitivity of the sector and the competitive pressures it faces. Now is not the time to deviate from treating the products of this sector in this manner particularly when our states urgently need more manufacturing production and job growth.\u201d\nThe domestic glassware production sector has for decades been protected by its categorization as \u201cimport-sensitive\u201d that makes it eligible for international trade protections like higher tariff enforcement. This is now at risk as the Administration negotiates terms of the TPP and TTIP agreements with its foreign partners.\nLibbey Inc. was founded in 1888 in Toledo which is known as the \u201cGlass City\u201d for its leadership and innovation in the glass making industry. The Anchor Hocking Co. was founded in 1905 in Lancaster and was Fairfield County\u2019s second largest employer in 2012.\u00a0\nTPP is a proposed trade agreement that currently includes the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. TTIP is a proposed trade agreement between the United States and the European Union (EU) that began its first round of negotiations in July.\nCongress has the constitutional authority to set the terms of trade and commerce with foreign nations. The Administration is conducting the TPP and TTIP talks under the leadership of the Office of the USTR, using authority which officially lapsed in 2007. This suggests that it will seek renewed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), known as \u201cFast Track,\u201d to conclude TPP and TTIP negotiations, as well as other trade initiatives.\nIn 2011, Brown authored and Portman voted for the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act, bipartisan legislation which would use U.S. trade law to counter the economic harm to U.S. manufacturers caused by currency manipulation and would provide consequences for countries that fail to adopt appropriate policies to eliminate currency misalignment.\nBrown, Portman, Kaptur, and Stivers were joined on their bipartisan letter to USTR Michael Froman by U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), David Vitter (R-LA), and Bob Casey (D-PA), and U.S. Rep. John Fleming (LA-4). That letter can be read in its entirety below:\nDecember 11, 2013\nThe Honorable Michael Froman\nUnited States Trade Representative\n600 17th Street, N.W.\nWashington, D.C. 20508\nDear Ambassador Froman:\n\u00a0\nWe are writing to you concerning the rules of origin and market access provisions relating to the glass tableware sector in the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations.\u00a0 \nWe urge your continued support for the domestic glass tableware industry\u2019s import-sensitive treatment. This issue is of crucial importance to workers in a number of states including Ohio, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. The products of the domestic glassware production sector have been placed in the category of import-sensitive products for more than 30 years. This treatment, and the tariffs that are in place, recognize the sensitivity of the sector and the competitive pressures it faces. Now is not the time to deviate from treating the products of this sector in this manner particularly when our states urgently need more manufacturing production and job growth. \nLibbey Inc. has U.S. glassware manufacturing locations in Toledo, Ohio and Shreveport, Louisiana. It filed timely detailed comments with your office on February 15, 2012 regarding TPP rules of origin for Glass Tableware (HTS 7013), Glass Stoppers (HTS 7010.20), and Glass Lamps and Lighting Fittings (HTS 9405) that should guide your negotiators in their activities. Subsequently, it filed timely detailed comments with your office regarding the TTIP negotiations relating to these same HTS numbers. Libbey\u2019s concerns are shared by Anchor Hocking Co., another glass tableware manufacturer that employs 1,600 workers in Lancaster, Ohio and Monaca, Pennsylvania. \nLibbey and Anchor Hocking join in urging that the TPP and TTIP rules of origin for the listed glassware products should be objective, transparent, predictable, and effective in limiting preferential tariff treatment to goods that are formed, finished, and packaged in TPP and TTIP countries. In addition, the TPP and TTIP market access negotiations should account for the import-sensitivity of these products, placing these products in the category eligible for the longest phase-out periods and eligible, as appropriate, for non-linear phase-out treatment. The TPP and TTIP should be a force for progress that maximizes production and employment opportunities in the signatory countries while recognizing the specific trade posture of individual industries.\nWe look forward to working with you on this issue of importance to American workers in this sector, which fuels economic growth in our states and creates family-supportive jobs for the companies and workers.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140112002209/http://www.brown.senate.gov:80/newsroom/press/release/sens-brown-and-portman-reps-kaptur-and-stivers-urge-us-trade-rep-to-maintain-protections-for-ohio-glass-makers-from-foreign-competition-in-trade-agreements"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0151939932256937, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}