Chairman Smith Commends Trump Administration on New Investigation into China’s Failure to Uphold Its Trade Obligations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it was launching a new investigation - under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 - into China's failure to comply with its obligations under the 2020 Phase One Agreement:

"Under President Trump, America will not be shy about using our trade enforcement tools to go after nations that fail to abide by their trade obligations or that take actions that directly harm American workers, small businesses, farmers, manufacturers, and innovators. Over the past several years, the Ways and Means Committee has been vocal about the need to utilize Section 301 and other trade authorities to hold China accountable - given that nation's chronic failure to live up to its trade-related commitments. In fact, Committee Republicans consistently called on the previous administration to ensure the Phase One agreement was being fully enforced. No trade agreement has any value for Americans unless the United States rigorously enforces it. Sadly, President Biden and his team failed to do so in several respects. The Biden administration slow-walked its review of the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports to address measures that undermine American intellectual property rights, innovation, or technology development. Furthermore, despite China's clear failure to fulfill its Phase One obligations - including falling far short on its commitments to purchase U.S. agricultural products - the Biden administration failed entirely to enforce that agreement.

"President Trump's China actions correctly identify that nation as a bad actor when it comes to compliance with its trade obligations, in the Phase One Agreement and beyond. Just as we worked together to end China's abuse of our de minimis trading policy, Congress and the Trump Administration must continue to hold our trading partners accountable to ensure a level playing field for America's workers and businesses."

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