{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=44CC2F31-850C-4524-BB27-623F68202BCE", "Portman, Brown to European Union: Chinas Non-Market Economy Is A Threat To Steel Industry", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Urged Parliament to Work with Congress to Devise Best Approach to China's State-Run Economy, Trade Violations\r\nU.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) this week expressed their concerns over possible changes to the way imports from China are treated by the European Commission under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and how the changes could limit the United States\u2019 ability to crack down on China\u2019s continued trade violations.\r\nAs the European Parliament considers how it will treat imports from non-market economies within WTO, Portman and Brown wrote to the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz seeking the country\u2019s cooperation in holding China to its trade obligations and continuing to take China\u2019s non-market economy into consideration when applying trade remedy law. Portman and Brown urged Parliament to coordinate with the U.S. Congress on how to best approach China\u2019s state run economy and its repeated trade violations.\u00a0\r\nIn the letter, Portman and Brown specifically noted how China\u2019s state-controlled steel industry has led to overcapacity in the American steel industry, which has idled factories in Ohio and across the U.S.\r\n\u201cIn the steel sector, for example, state support and ownership of China\u2019s steel industry has led to massive excess steel capacity, which has caused significant disruptions in the global steel market,\u201d said Portman and Brown. \u201cWe urge the Parliament to work with Congress to consider carefully and to devise the most effective approach both to the distorted prices of China\u2019s non-market economy and the larger question of China\u2019s continuing trade violations.\u201d\r\nPortman and Brown also reached out to the European Commission in May to urge the EU against granting China market economy status, which would have destabilized the global steel sector and limited international efforts to encourage China\u2019s compliance with trade law. Though China has promised to reduce steel production, it has yet to follow through on that promise.\r\nFull text of the letter is available below.\r\nThe Honorable Martin Schulz  President of the European Parliament  European Parliament  Rue Wiertz  Paul-Henri Spaak 09B011  1047 Brussels\r\nDear Mr. Schulz:\r\nWe write to express our concerns regarding the European Commission\u2019s proposal that would change how the EU treats imports from World Trade Organization (WTO) member non-market economies for the purpose of its trade remedy laws.\u00a0 In light of China\u2019s request this week to begin consultations with the U.S. and EU at the World Trade Organization, it is imperative that we coordinate our policies on non-market economy designations, particularly for China. We ask you to ensure the Parliament\u2019s position on this proposal is established only after Congress and the Parliament have had the opportunity to collaborate on the most effective approach to state control and ownership in China\u2019s economy and methods for how to treat imports from non-market economies in our trade remedy laws.\r\nChina\u2019s economy remains state-controlled, state-owned, and state-influenced.\u00a0 This state control has contributed to many global market distortions.\u00a0 In the steel sector, for example, state support and ownership of China\u2019s steel industry has led to massive excess steel capacity, which has caused significant disruptions in the global steel market.\u00a0 As a result of these disruptions, numerous U.S. facilities have idled or closed and thousands of American workers have lost their jobs.\u00a0 The U.S. steel industry has managed to get temporary relief by filing successful antidumping and countervailing duty petitions, which have taken into account China\u2019s non-market economy status.\u00a0\r\nWe are concerned that the Commission\u2019s proposal would remove leverage the U.S. and other countries have to encourage China to transition away from a state-controlled economy.\u00a0 The Commission\u2019s proposal would eliminate any distinction between non-market economy and market economy countries under the EU antidumping law.\u00a0 As a result, it appears unlikely China would actually be treated as a non-market economy in EU antidumping investigations.\u00a0 We believe these policy changes would hinder international efforts to improve China\u2019s fulfillment of its trade obligations.\r\nChina has not fully complied with its trade obligations since joining the WTO 15 years ago, and our manufacturers and their workers have paid the price.\u00a0 We urge the Parliament to work with Congress to consider carefully and to devise the most effective approach both to the distorted prices of China\u2019s non-market economy and the larger question of China\u2019s continuing trade violations.\u00a0 Only through U.S.-EU collaboration can we help our manufacturers get the level playing field they need and the long-term relief they deserve.\r\nSincerely,", 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://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=44CC2F31-850C-4524-BB27-623F68202BCE"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5405339654535055, "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"}