Northwest mill owners take aim at subsidized products from China
EUGENE, Ore. - States Industries makes hardwood plywood, the stuff used to make kitchen cabinets and all kinds of furniture.
But U.S. manufacturers like States Industries face competition from China - competition that a growing chorus of voices is calling illegal.
Northwest mill owners say China is dumping the country's subsidized hardwood products in the U.S. market.
"This is jobs," said Roger Rutan with Timber Products Company in Springfield. "You can look at it, stare at it right in your face. Subsidies and incentives for export. They subsidize loans. They subsidize employee wages."
Those subsidies have given China 60 percent of the U.S. hardwood market, mill owners contend.
They want the U.S. International Trade Commission and Commerce Department to get tough.
In the mills' corner: Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon.
"We've at least convinced the initial set of bureaucrats that we've got a strong case," DeFazio said. "I mean to me, it's an open-shut."
The mills want a duty or tariff slapped on the Chinese products, penalties up to 200 percent.
Having just gone through a presidential campaign where jobs were front and center, this sort of trade dispute is where the rubber meets the road. DeFazio expects quick action on the petition against China.
"If we have a level playing field, we think that our products will be preferred over the Chinese," said Mike Taylor, president of States Industries.
DeFazio thinks the case is so strong that temporary measures could go into place early next year.
"I'll be pushing hard for that," he said. "I mean, if we lose this industry, it's not coming back."
I believe trade tarrifs were put in place shortly after the depression to keep foriegn product costs equal to american made products and spurr job creation. seems like a good thing to put back into effect since all of our manufacturers have most of their crap built overseas now instead of here. companies like nike westing house whirlpool eureka to name a few have all their crap built in other countries for penies on the dollar and put americans out of work by moving their plants to forigen soil seems like those guys need a tarrif also we need to repeal nafta and put import tattifs back into place or this economy never will get any better
We don't care about the workers, the big companies make their profit and the exec get millions in bonus.
Currency war, trade war...world war.
Tariff's are a two way street, we set one on their products, they set one on what comes into the U.S.  Watch what you wish for. Â
DeFazio always talks a good game, want to bet he gets nothing done?
 @souptonuts ok I bet 100 dollars he doesnt do anything,how long do i have to wait
@censoredirawoody I guess until we find someone that is willing to bet with us? He won't do anything, he never does. He is the politicians politician, smile, put on the polish, say your going to do all kinds of good, then sit back and watch all of your constituents who you have totally fooled going ooh and aah. However he did accomplish one thing. He kept someone else out of the office that may have done something.
what the hell ya mean next year, the hell with all the BS do it now. Ya are suppose to be so smart and good ! GET "ER" DONE.