Southern West Virginia News

Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) took part in a Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee hearing focused on American trade enforcement priorities. The session aimed to discuss strategies for the Trump administration to create fair competition for U.S. businesses and farmers.

Miller expressed appreciation for President Trump's efforts to protect American businesses and raised concerns about China's impact on American manufacturing. "Over the last four years, we watched the Biden administration sit idly by as foreign nations launched a full-scale attack on American companies," she stated. Miller introduced the Protecting American Advanced Manufacturing Act in the previous Congress, aiming to prevent Chinese-linked manufacturers from accessing American tax credits intended for domestic producers.

The Congresswoman highlighted issues with Chinese manufacturers circumventing tariffs by routing products through Southeast Asian countries, which undermines U.S. tariff revenues and risks jobs by flooding markets with unfairly priced goods. She emphasized the importance of addressing these practices to safeguard jobs in her district, including those at Ravenswood's manufacturing facilities.

Miller sought insights from Ambassador Jeffrey Gerrish of Schagrin Associates on preventing China from evading tariffs. She asked how the U.S. could collaborate with allies to prevent third-country duty evasion while maintaining international trade commitments.

Gerrish suggested several measures, including establishing customs cooperation agreements with other countries' customs authorities to combat transshipment and duty evasion efforts. He noted that similar initiatives were pursued during Trump's first term with Vietnam and proposed investigations under section 301 if necessary.

Additionally, Miller addressed South Korea's failure to honor digital trade agreements with the United States, questioning Jonathan McHale of the Computer and Communications Industry Association about South Korea's trade policies' impact on U.S. interests.

McHale confirmed that South Korea's proposals could disadvantage U.S. firms by targeting them specifically while allowing competitors like Chinese companies to gain market share without facing similar restrictions or penalties.