Washington, DC – Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) issued the following statement in response to the decision by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to grant an extension for filing a rehearing request in the ongoing litigation about the application of the countervailing duty laws to non-market economies such as China.  

“We must do everything we can to ensure that the Department of Commerce can continue to fight subsidies granted by countries like China that unfairly injure our industries, cost U.S. jobs, and distort the market.  I am concerned about the underlying decision by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that the Commerce Department lacks authority to apply the countervailing duty law to subsidies from non-market economies like China.  As such, I welcome the news that the Court has granted the Administration additional time to prepare a request for a rehearing.  The Administration must pursue all available legal avenues to overturn the underlying decision, which I believe was wrongly decided.  

“In addition, I am willing to consider targeted legislation that ensures our countervailing duty laws can be used to protect U.S. employers and workers from unfairly subsidized imports from countries like China.  I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate, and with the Administration, to explore legislative options.  Any such legislation would have to be narrowly targeted, ensure that U.S. application of its countervailing duty laws complies with its WTO obligations, and will pass the House and Senate without complications.”