House passes bill allowing anti-subsidy duties against non-market countries

“China distorts the free market by giving enormous subsidies to its producers and exporters, and our companies and workers should not be expected to compete against the deep pockets of the Chinese government,” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said on the floor. “That is why it is important that we preserve this important tool and ensure that current countervailing duty orders and investigations from non-market economies remain in place and that this important tool is available in the future.”

{mosads}Committee ranking member Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) added: “This legislation ensures that tools remain available under U.S. trade laws so that manufacturers can fight back against China’s unfair trade subsidies.”

Camp and Levin sponsored the bill together, and it is so popular that it was debated briefly under a suspension of House rules shortly after noon, and was approved in a 370-39 roll call vote. All “no” votes came from Republicans.

A Senate version, S. 2153, was also approved slightly ahead of schedule by the upper chamber on Monday, by unanimous consent. According to the Monday Senate vote, House passage of identical language makes it “deemed” as passed by the Senate, sending it to the White House for President Obama’s signature.

The White House had not commented on the bill as of early Tuesday afternoon.

— This story was updated at 2:06 p.m. to reflect the vote.