Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) issued the following statement after the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced its intent to initiate World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement proceedings against China: 

Chairman Camp stated:  “I applaud Ambassador Kirk for taking this important step to enforce our trade rights in China.  Re-opening the Chinese market for U.S. chicken exporters has the potential to support thousands of good U.S. jobs.  China must abide by its international commitments – and when it does not – the United States should not hesitate to enforce its rights at the WTO.   I intend to hold a hearing this fall to examine the barriers China continues to throw in front of the goods and services we are trying to sell and look forward to learning more about this case and other enforcement actions being pursued by USTR.”

Trade Subcommittee Chairman Brady commented:  “China’s action to block U.S. chicken exports has gone on for years now, and I commend Ambassador Kirk for beginning a WTO dispute settlement action to resolve this long-running trade dispute.  China’s tariffs on U.S. chicken exports violate its WTO obligations, plain and simple, and unfairly deny our farmers access to the Chinese market.   China’s action has cost us jobs at a time when unemployment remains too high for too long.”