WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert (R-WA) today released the following statements on President Trump’s Executive Orders relating to trade enforcement and the trade deficit:

Chairman Brady said:

“I welcome the President’s Executive Order on Customs bonding procedures, which operationalizes the new tools Congress put in place in the Customs enforcement bill that we enacted last year. The President’s action will strengthen our ability to hold accountable those cheaters who evade our trade laws and engage in unfair trade practices. His strong leadership on this issue will help level the playing field for American workers. 

“I also agree that U.S. exporters of all sizes continue to face enormous trade barriers as they sell American goods and services around the world. While it is important to examine the causes of our trade deficits, we know that there are many causes that have nothing to do with trade agreements – including the status of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency and the widespread use of the U.S. dollar internationally. In fact, our trade agreements have been successful in making it easier to sell ‘Made in America’ products and services, lowering and even eliminating our trade deficits in manufacturing and services, and frequently resulting in a trade surplus.

“I look forward to working with President Trump and his Administration to rigorously enforce and strengthen our current trade agreements. We must also negotiate new, bold, and enforceable agreements that will eliminate barriers to our products and services so that Americans can compete and win in markets throughout the world.”

Chairman Reichert said:

“While we must do more to eliminate foreign barriers to trade that shortchange our companies and workers when they try to sell abroad, I firmly believe that our nation’s farmers, workers, consumers, and business owners have benefited tremendously from engaging in trade with countries across the globe. In my home state of Washington, we can see the benefit of trade in our jobs numbers and feel it in our pocketbooks. We are leaders in the agriculture, software, and aerospace industries, and 40 percent of our jobs are connected to trade. With 96 percent of the world’s consumers living outside our borders, there is great potential to create new opportunities for American businesses and grow good-paying jobs here at home. I will continue to work with the Administration on the trade agenda and this report.”