Brown defending workers in area

Jul 12, 2023

Aug 21, 2023

U.S. Department of Commerce officials needed a reminder that they are responsible for enforcing laws meant to protect American workers. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, wasted no time in issuing it. He wrote a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, urging the department to stand up — specifically on behalf of workers in the region — against unfair and illegal trade practices that are again a threat.

“American companies and workers deserve the certainty that the nation’s trade remedy laws are behind them, that these laws will be applied equitably, consistently, and fairly; and the knowledge that no nation or industry is above the law,” Brown wrote. “To that end, I urge you to guard against politicized interference by upholding all recommendations in the tin plate case, making certain the wafer certification provisions do not create a backdoor for Chinese-made products to access American tax credits, and continuing to emphasize objectiveness in all current and future determinations.”

The case to which Brown refers is related to antidumping and countervailing duty petitions filed by Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steelworkers.

Later in his letter, Brown writes, “As you know, the people whose livelihoods hang in the balance of these investigations are the steelworkers in Steubenville and Weirton, solar manufacturers in Toledo, and thousands of American workers, who should be able to compete on a level playing field.

” … In the tin plate case as well as others, I also urge you to honor the fair economic competition Commerce is tasked with ensuring for American industries by upholding and implementing all of the recommendations by the civilian employees at the Office of Enforcement and Compliance, without exceptions.”

It shouldn’t take prompting for federal officials — and entire departments — to do their jobs on behalf of the American people. But as it appears that is the case, Brown is to be commended for continuing to pressure Raimondo. We can only hope she listens.

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