Hoffa Applauds Obama Administration for Investigating Trade Violations by China

USW Case Exposes How China Breaks Trade Rules to Dominate Alternative And Renewable Energy Industry

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today praised the Obama administration for taking up a request by the United Steelworkers (USW) to bring a case against China for illegally protecting and subsidizing its renewable energy industry.

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The administration was responding to the petition brought by the USW on Sept. 9. The steelworkers asked the U.S. trade representative to challenge China's illegal predatory practices because they undermine U.S. jobs and U.S. manufacturing.

"President Obama is fighting for America's jobs today and America's jobs tomorrow," Hoffa said. "Green technology is vital to our economic future. We cannot allow China to get ahead of us by cheating."

The USW's 5,800-page petition was filed with the U.S. trade representative under Section 301 of the Trade Act. It identifies China's illegal activities to dominate the green energy sector, including hundreds of billions of dollars of subsidies, performance requirements and preferential practices. The petition claims that China is the top contributor to the U.S. trade deficit in renewable energy technology.

The Obama administration will take 90 days to examine the United Steelworkers' claims. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a statement that he will seek information and advice from the steelworkers and advisory committees.

"We must hold China accountable for breaking the rules that the rest of the world obeys," Hoffa said, who was recently named to the U.S. Trade Representative's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. "If the playing field were level, America's workers would be leading the world in the development of renewable energy technologies. I congratulate the United Steelworkers for this great victory on behalf of American workers."  

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters