Brown Successfully Pushes Biden Administration to Investigate Unfair Chinese Trade Practices in Shipbuilding

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced he successfully pushed the Biden Administration to investigate China's unfair trade practices that undercut American shipbuilding, threaten our national security, and hurt American workers. Brown previously calledon the Administration in support of the United Steelworkers (USW) petition under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to call on United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai to initiate a full investigation into China's unfair trade practices in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. Today, the USTR announced they were heeding that call and launching an investigation into China.

"We pushed the administration to launch this investigation to protect America's maritime and shipbuilding industry," said Brown. "Now we need measures to level the playing field against China and boost U.S shipbuilding to prevent dependence on foreign countries, prevent further loss of good-paying American jobs, and strengthen our national security."

Today, the Ambassador Katherine Tai announced that USTR accepted USW's petition and is launching an investigation of China under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Public comments will be accepted through May 22, 2024, and a public hearing will take place on May 29, 2024.

Over the last 20 years, the United States has lost industrial shipbuilding capacity while China's subsidized shipbuilding has only grown. Chinese state-owned enterprises and other facilities are now capable of producing over 1,000 ocean-going vessels a year, while the United States currently produces fewer than ten. While shipbuilding capacity, suppliers, and shipyards remain vital to the U.S. economy and national security, China's uncompetitive trade practices have led to 25,000 domestic shipbuilding suppliers leaving the U.S. market over the past 20 years.

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