WASHINGTON, D.C. (WSAW) -- Democrat senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin along with two Republican lawmakers and one other Democrat introduced a new bill Tuesday to crack down on Chinese trade practices.
The proposed law, the Play by the Rules Act, is designed to give the Department of Commerce more power in making China accountable to trade law.
Specifically, the law deals with AD/CVD duties. When imported products are sold below market value, the US Customs and Border Protection defines it as dumping, and laws against it are supposed to offset the lost value through duties on non-market economies--like China.
The bill is supposed to help make a more level playing field, Baldwin said, for companies like manufacturing company Felker Brothers in Marshfield which endorsed the legislation.
"China continues to violate international trade norms and rules, and it negatively impacts Wisconsin businesses," Baldwin said. "Even when they are successful in bringing a case before the Commerce Department for countervailing duties, a number of Chinese industries and businesses have really continued to violate the rules. So we need to empower the Commerce Department to crack down when there’s a significant state subsidy that creates an un-level playing field for Wisconsin and other US businesses."
It's not the first time the bipartisan legislation has been introduced. Baldwin introduced the same bill during the 115th Congress, but according to Congressional records, it did not get passed the Finance committee.

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