Senate passes US Sen. Sherrod Brown's Leveling the Playing Field Act

YOUNGSTOWN — The U.S. Senate today passed U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s, D-Cleveland, Leveling the Playing Field Act as part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reauthorization.

The bill would help the steel industry fight unfair trade practices. In March, Brown met with Doug Polk, vice president of industry affairs for Vallourec USA, to discuss the negative impact of steel imports on the domestic industry, including the impact of dumping.

The bill would allow businesses and workers in the United States to petition the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission when foreign producers sell goods in the U.S. below market price or receive illegal subsidies.

“In order to protect American jobs, Congress must ensure American companies can compete in a fair marketplace,” Brown said in statement. “This enforcement provision will restore strength to our nation’s trade laws and fight back against unfair trade practices.”