Senator Baldwin Slams Trump Administration for Letting China Cheat and Undercutting American Shipbuilders

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is calling out the Trump Administration for reversing course on holding China accountable, delaying penalties that were designed to support American shipbuilding and level the playing field for American workers after China has spent decades cheating to undercut Wisconsin shipbuilders. Recently, the White House announced that as part of a trade deal struck between President Xi Jinping of China, the United States would suspend for one year the penalties imposed by a Section 301 investigation that Senator Baldwin, shipbuilders, and workers first called for in March 2024. The Administration is only allowing the public one day to weigh in.

“For years, I’ve been fighting to level the playing field for American shipbuilding as China cheated the system, undercut workers, and threatened our national security. Instead of holding China accountable, the President folded, leaving American workers behind,” said Senator Baldwin. “After months of working with both the Biden and Trump Administrations to put us on the path to cracking down on China’s unfair trade practices, President Trump turned on a dime by rolling back penalties designed to protect American shipbuilders. Wisconsin workers deserve a level playing field, not to be used as just another bargaining chip in this President’s chaotic trade war that has so far only jacked up costs on consumers while doing very little to boost American manufacturing.”

Last March, Senator Baldwin joined United Steelworkers and other labor leaders in support of the American shipbuilding industry and to call on the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to conduct a Section 301 investigation of China’s practices in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. In April 2024, the USTR under President Biden announced they were heeding that call and launching an investigation into China, concluding in a report that China targeted dominance in these sectors is unreasonable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce, and is therefore “actionable” under Section 301. This report laid the groundwork for the Trump Administration to impose penalties on China to support American shipbuilding. This announcement reverses course on that decision by suspending the actions recommended in the Section 301 Investigation.

Senator Baldwin has long championed Buy America policies to support American businesses and workers. She fought to advance her American Made Navy Act in last year’s annual defense legislation, which would ensure by 2033 any new Navy ship purchased uses 100% domestically produced materials, like propulsion systems, shipboard components, couplings, shafts, support bearings, and more. She also worked to include strong Buy America standards in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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