Trade Cases
U.S. Must Get 'More Creative,' Trade Nominee Tells Senate
Written by Sandy Williams
August 4, 2017
Gilbert Kaplan, nominee for undersecretary for international trade at the Department of Commerce, was questioned today by the Senate Finance Committee on how he will approach trade issues for the nation. As undersecretary, Kaplan would be responsible for promoting U.S. trade and enforcing trade laws.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) pressed Kaplan on whether he supported a quick resolution to the Section 232 investigation to end import surges that have occurred from the ensuing uncertainty about the case.
“Yes, absolutely. I think it is very important,” said Kaplan, and suggested that the U.S must get more “creative” in pursuing trade cases and “turn the pressure on even more to get this resolved.”
Kaplan proposed the more frequent use of self-initiated Section 301 actions to address unfair trade practices and steel overcapacity, as well as utilizing the the World Trade Organization to bring trade cases against China and others.
On the subject of reciprocal market access with China, Kaplan said, “I think we should be able to have complete access [to Chinese markets] and not be subject to any caps or limits.”
Kaplan, a Harvard law graduate, has a long background in trade, working for the Commerce Department as a director of investigations in 1983 and later as deputy assistant secretary for the import administration handling steel trade. He also served as acting assistant secretary for import administration. After the Reagan years, Kaplan worked as an attorney in international trade and as a lobbyist for corporations such as Bethlehem Steel. In 2007, while at law firm King and Spalding, he represented Zekelman Steel and others in a successful anti-subsidy case against imports of Chinese steel standard pipe.
(Source material: World Trade Online)
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Trade Cases
Price: Expect new trade shocks as Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ tariff negotiations continue
President Trump cast a wide net with the proposed, reciprocal tariffs. The negotiating stage will be critical to determining the success of his strategy. And for those suffering tariff whiplash, don’t expect the pace of change to slow down just because the reciprocal tariffs are entering a negotiating phase.
SMU Survey: Less support seen for Trump tariff policies
Meanwhile, an increasing number think it's too early to say whether the penalties are going to bring more manufacturing to the US.
CRU: USW seeks exclusion for Canada from Trump’s tariffs
The union is also urging stronger enforcement against countries such as China which break trade rules, and a coordinated Canada-US strategy to protect union jobs across the North America
Price on trade: A lot happened last week – and it wasn’t all about tariffs
Should foreign investment be allowed to reshape the American steel Industry? Not to be lost in the recent on-again-off-again tariff frenzy, Nippon Steel’s proposed takeover of U.S. Steel has also found itself in President Trump’s crosshairs when it comes to trade and industrial policy. Nippon Steel initially announced its nearly $15-billion bid for U.S. Steel […]
Trump signs executive order aimed at making US shipbuilding ‘great again’
President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order meant to breathe new life into American shipbuilding and curb Chinese dominance in the sector.