The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Wednesday voiced its strong support for the Super 301 bill, known as the Trade Enforcement Priorities Act of 2009, introduced this week in the US Senate. AISI said in a press release that the bill works to identify priority trade barriers and to make sure that foreign governments are living up to their trade agreement commitments.
"AISI commends Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Carl Levin (D-MI), Russell Feingold (D-WI) and Arlen Specter (D-PA) for introducing the Section 301 bill, which serves as a critical step toward leveling the playing field for American manufacturers," Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI, said. "Passage of this bill is essential to enhanced US government enforcement efforts to eliminate foreign trade-distorting practices, which are continuing to undermine our domestic manufacturing base."
Despite continuing unfair trade practices by some of America's largest trading partners, the federal government has not done enough to enforce our trade laws or international trade agreements, Gibson said. AISI believes this legislation would provide the US Trade Representative with the tools necessary to address this issue, which the group says has contributed to the loss of over five million manufacturing jobs in the last 10 years and eroded US access to foreign markets.