releases: http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=28ea5a85-001e-4594-9e82-fadd0255120b
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=28ea5a85-001e-4594-9e82-fadd0255120b | Barrasso Chairs Hearing on Bipartisan American Soda Ash Competitiveness Act | 2015-10-01 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | WY | John Barrasso | B001261 | www.barrasso.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, delivered the following opening statement at the subcommittee hearing on the American Soda Ash Competitiveness Act (S. 2031). In September, Senator Barrasso introduced S. 2031 with ranking member of the subcommittee Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), to maintain a competitive royalty rate on Americas natural soda ash. Soda ash is critical in manufacturing industrial products like glass, chemicals and detergents. The bill will set the royalty rate on sodium compounds produced from federal land at 2 percent for five years. Wyomings Fred von Ahrens, vice president for manufacturing at Tronox in Green River, testified in support of S. 2031 today. Click here for Mr. von Ahrens written testimony and video of his testimony here. The hearing also featured testimony from Amanda Leiter, deputy assistant secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the U.S. Department of the Interior; Chris Douville, president of American Natural Soda Ash Corporation; and Rick Finn, federal affairs manager for the Port of Portland. Click here for more information on their testimony. Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) are original co-sponsors of the Soda Ash Competitiveness Act. Senator Barrassos opening remarks: This afternoon, the Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining will hold a hearing on S. 2031the American Soda Ash Competitiveness Act. Last month, the Subcommittees ranking memberSenator Wydenand I introduced this bipartisan legislation along with Senators Enzi and Merkley. The purpose of our bill is to help Americas natural soda ash producers compete in the global market. Natural soda ashalso known as sodium carbonateis a raw material used to manufacture glass, chemicals, and other industrial goods. Natural soda ash is produced from tronaa mineral found in high concentrations primarily in California and Wyoming. The production of soda ash supports thousands of jobs across the country in a variety of industries, including mining, shipping, and manufacturing. In my home state of Wyoming, soda ash production directly employs over 2,300 people. In 2014, the United States exported nearly 58 percent of all soda ash produced for a total of about $1.3 billion. Last year, soda ash was our nations second-largest inorganic chemical export. Soda ash exports help reduce Americas trade deficit and grow our nations economy. But we must not assume that soda ash exports will increase. Americas soda ash producers continue to battle unfair trade practices imposed by other nations. For example, China has aggressively moved to help its synthetic soda ash producers capture market share from Americas soda ash producers. Since 2009, China has given its synthetic soda ash producers a 9 percent rebate on Chinas value-added tax, its VAT. More recently, China devalued its currency the yuanby 4.4 percent, to boost exports. It is estimated that Chinas value-added tax rebate and currency devaluation give Chinese soda ash producers roughly a $27 per metric ton benefit. This unfair benefit is only expected to grow over the next year. CNBC reported recently that China may devalue its currency by a total of 15 to 20 percent by the end of 2016. CNBC cited a source that said: Engineering a devaluation of this magnitude will not be easy,[h]owever, the [Peoples Bank of China] has the mechanismto achieve a creeping devaluation and maintain the appearance of it being market-led. This report and Chinas track record on currency devaluation make me very skeptical and suspicious of any commitments that Chinas President allegedly made last week. Chinas unfair trade practices threaten Americas soda ash producers and its important that Congress respond. Thats why we have introduced the American Soda Ash Competitiveness Act. Our bipartisan bill will help level the playing field for Americas soda ash producers. Specifically, our bill maintains a competitive royalty rate for soda ash produced from federal land. Tomorrow, the Bureau of Land Management, the BLM, is expected to increase the royalty rate on soda ash. I strongly disagree with this decision. The Administration should not raise costs on Americas soda ash producers without first ensuring that China and other countries scrap their unfair trade practices. So I want to thank Senator Wyden for his support of this bipartisan legislation. Senator Wyden knows the importance of the soda ash industry to Oregon, Wyoming, and communities throughout the country. He also knows that Americas natural soda ash has a significantly lower environmental impact when compared to Chinas synthetic soda ash. So I want to thank Senators Enzi and Merkley for their support of this bill. On July 29th, the House Natural Resources Committee approved identical legislation on a bipartisan vote. I will encourage members of this committee to advance our legislation as quickly as possible. I would also like to point out a front-page story in yesterdays Wall Street Journal entitled: Export Weakness Hampers Growth According to this story: Hopes for an American export boom are wilting. U.S. exports are on track to decline this year for the first time since the financial crisis, undermining a national push to boost shipments abroad. The article goes on to say that: The weak trade performance is restraining overall economic growth. The article also discusses the challenges that Portland, Oregon has faced in trying to increase its exports. I will enter this article into todays hearing record. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |