English unveils plan to reform U.S. trade law

FARRELL, Pa. -- U.S. Rep. Phil English of Erie, R-3rd, said his Trade Law Reform Act of 2003 will be the first major overhaul of the nation's trade and dumping laws since the 1970s.
English, who unveiled his plan at Duferco Farrell Corp., said outdated trade laws are costing American thousands of jobs. His bill would create a level playing field for U.S. employers to compete in the global marketplace and protect domestic companies from foreign predatory trade practices, he said.
The bill was introduced Thursday and has already gained the support of the American Iron and Steel Institute and the Committee To Support U.S. Trade Laws, a coalition of U.S. business, agriculture and labor groups.
Robert Miller, vice president of finance at Duferco, said the bill will help protect his company from the dumping of finished steel products on the U.S. market.
It goes beyond pipe and steel and encompasses textiles and citrus producers too, English said.
It's an effort to reform antidumping laws and calls for the creation of a commission to review World Trade Organization decisions that have come down against U.S. interests, English said.
Failing to update antidumping those laws allows foreign countries to take American jobs, he said.