Labor Caucus Members Testify on Behalf of American Workers and Shipbuilding Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Labor Caucus member Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) testified before the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on behalf of American workers and the domestic shipbuilding industry. The members highlighted the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) unfair trade practices in the shipbuilding sector and underscored the importance of revitalizing the American shipbuilding industry.
"In 1975, the United States was a leader in global shipbuilding, employing over 180,000 workers—many in good, union jobs—and securing more than 70 commercial ships orders annually. But, in recent decades, the United States has lost over 70,000 shipyard jobs,” said Rep. Norcross in his testimony. “Unfortunately, the PRC’s unfair trade practices are a key reason for the decline in U.S. shipbuilding and a chief obstacle towards revitalizing this important industry.”
“The PRC’s unfair trade practices, if unchecked, will make it impossible for the U.S. shipbuilding industry to recover,” said Rep. Dingell in her testimony. “As USTR pursues its Section 301 investigation into the PRC’s trade practices, I encourage you to consider this evidence and the importance of fostering a strong, domestic shipbuilding industry in the United States.”
“In the last 22 years, the PRC has led a campaign of subsidization, strategic targeted investment, and other related policies with the aim of dominating global shipping and advancing the goals of the Chinese Communist Party,” said Rep. Courtney in his testimony. “Due to the loss of our domestic shipbuilding infrastructure, U.S. shipyards and suppliers do not have the capacity to replace ships lost in combat or the ability to supply our own needs, much less those needs of our friends and allies. A vibrant domestic commercial shipbuilding industry will allow our country to ensure that a resilient supply chain remains available in times of need.”
On March 12, 2024, five national labor unions filed a petition urging USTR to initiate a Section 301 investigation into the acts, policies, and practices of the PRC relating to competition in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. The petition identified a range of unfair actions taken by the PRC to dominate these sectors. In April, Rep. Courtney led a letter with 37 other Member of Congress in support of the petition, and USTR subsequently announced that it would accept the petition.