{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-the-biden-administration-for-its-delayed-investigation-of-illegal-chinese-trade-practices", "Cotton Demands Answers from the Biden Administration for Its Delayed Investigation of Illegal Chinese Trade Practices", "2022-03-16", "2022", "2022-03", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: James Arnold or Mary Collins Atkinson (202) 224-2353\n\nMarch 16, 2022\n\nCotton Demands Answers from the Biden Administration for Its Delayed Investigation of Illegal Chinese Trade Practices\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai demanding answers about the USTR\u2019s reported delay in deciding to launch Section 301 investigations into China\u2019s criminal economic practices.\n\nIn part, Cotton wrote, \u201cThe CCP has shown nothing but malice towards this nation and should be shown no leniency in our response to its economic aggression. For this reason, I am deeply disappointed to learn that USTR is not pursuing an expansive set of Section 301 investigations into China\u2019s anti-competitive and illegal trade practices.\u201d\n\n\u201cSuch investigations would likely result in barriers to subsidized Chinese goods and would blunt Beijing\u2019s attempt to dominate critical sectors through economic aggression. It\u2019s past time that we act to defend American industry, prevent China from dominating the industries of the future, and decouple key strategic sectors from China,\u201d Cotton continued.\n\nText of the letter ay be found here and below.\n\nThe Honorable Katherine Tai\n\nU.S. Trade Representative\n\n600 17th Street, NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20508\n\nDear Ambassador Tai,\n\nI write to express my concern regarding USTR\u2019s reported delay in deciding to launch Section 301 investigations into China\u2019s economic practices.\n\nAs you know, the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s prolific trade abuses threaten American prosperity. In the two decades since China\u2019s entry into the WTO, the CCP has effectively shuttered tens of thousands of American factories, destroyed millions of American manufacturing jobs, and stolen hundreds of billions of dollars of American intellectual property. China\u2019s broad industrial destruction has fed the heartbreaking opioid crisis that still grips our nation, and is in no small part fueled by Chinese fentanyl.\n\nFar from showing contrition, China\u2019s rulers have added insult to injury at every opportunity. You have rightfully criticized China for violating the terms of the Phase I trade deal. Instead of increasing imports from the United States by $200 billion over the baseline, China reduced purchases by nearly $14 billion. For months, your agency has negotiated in good faith to bring China into compliance with Phase I, but the Communist Party has steadfastly refused to keep their promises. Our goods trade deficit with China last year reached the highest level since 2018, and our total trade deficit surpassed $1 trillion, for the first time ever.\n\nThe CCP has shown nothing but malice towards this nation and should be shown no leniency in our response to its economic aggression. For this reason, I am deeply disappointed to learn that USTR is not pursuing an expansive set of Section 301 investigations into China\u2019s anti-competitive and illegal trade practices.\n\nSuch investigations would likely result in barriers to subsidized Chinese goods and would blunt Beijing\u2019s attempt to dominate critical sectors through economic aggression. It\u2019s past time that we act to defend American industry, prevent China from dominating the industries of the future, and decouple key strategic sectors from China. I hope you share these objectives.\n\nPlease answer the following questions so that the American people can better understand the Biden administration\u2019s position on China\u2019s economic aggression:\n\nHas USTR delayed its decision on launching Section 301 investigations into China\u2019s economic practices? Yes or no?\n\nIf yes, why have you delayed these essential investigations? Did China\u2019s threat of retaliation contribute to this delay?\n\nDo you believe that China is currently doing at least tens of billions of dollars in damages to the United States economy every year as a result of its anti-competitive and illegal behavior?\n\nDo you believe it is important to penalize China for violating its Phase I obligations?\n\nDo you believe it is important to reduce our dependence on China in strategic industries?\n\nDo you believe it is important to decouple our strategic industries from China?\n\nVery respectfully,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:06:17Z"]], "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://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-demands-answers-from-the-biden-administration-for-its-delayed-investigation-of-illegal-chinese-trade-practices"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4973850920796394, "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"}