Krishnamoorthi, Moolenaar, Hinson Applaud Successful Markup of Bipartisan Trade Crimes Legislation

September 25, 2024
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the bipartisan Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act passed through the Judiciary Committee via markup vote with unanimous bipartisan support. The bill, led by Select Committee Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA), and Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), combats trade crimes committed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a new structure within its Criminal Division dedicated to prosecuting international trade crimes. This effort will enhance U.S. capabilities for detecting, investigating, and prosecuting trade fraud, duty evasion, transshipment, and other trade-related crimes. 

 

This legislation aligns with one of the recommendations laid out in the Select Committee’s bipartisan economic report from December 2023, which calls for an increase in investigative capacity and enforcement and also calls for the recovery of lost U.S. revenue by appropriating additional funding for trade enforcement capacities at the Department of Justice targeting PRC transshipment, evasion of tariffs, trade-based money laundering, violations of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and other trade-related crimes.

Other original co-sponsors of this bill include House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) as well as Reps. Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Lou Correa (D-CA), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Nate Moran (R-TX), Ben Cline (R-VA), Kevin Kiley (R-CA), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY).  

“For years, the CCP’s predatory trade policies have violated American trade laws and taken advantage of American companies, workers, and consumers through trade crimes like dumping, duty evasion, and fraud. The bipartisan passage of our bill today through the Judiciary Committee is a critical step toward holding perpetrators criminally liable for these illegal activities. I look forward to working with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to make sure this bill becomes law so that the Department of Justice receives the resources it needs to stand up the new enforcement unit outlined in our bill.” ­– Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL)

“I am grateful to Chairman Jordan and Ranking Member Nadler for passing the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2024 out of the Judiciary Committee today on an overwhelming bipartisan basis. This excellent bipartisan bill will protect U.S. companies and workers by strengthening our country’s efforts to prosecute trade crimes, including fraud, duty evasion, and shipping from other countries to avoid our laws. This legislation was included in the Select Committee’s bipartisan policy recommendations last year, and I am committed to working with Rep. Ashley Hinson, Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi, Chairman Cole, and the Department of Justice to deliver funding to implement this legislation." – Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI)

“Committee passage of my bipartisan Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act is a significant step forward and important victory for American workers. Communist China has blatantly violated U.S. trade laws and ripped off American workers without consequences for too long, gutting rural manufacturing towns and enabling CCP forced labor. This bipartisan bill will ensure we finally crack down on Communist China’s illicit trade practices so that we can reshore American manufacturing. I appreciate the support of Chairman Jordan, Chairman Moolenaar, and Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi as we work to get this bill passed and signed into law." – Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA)

“I am proud to co-sponsor the bipartisan Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2024. This bill prioritizes prosecution of trade crimes.  American industries have needed this kind of enforcement for a long time. Customs fraud and other trade crimes are vast in their scope, harming whole sectors of our economy, depleting jobs, and stealing good-paying jobs from our communities across the country.   This bipartisan effort from the Judiciary Committee is a step in the right direction to protect American workers and save people across the world from forced labor and other unfair trade practices.” – Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD)

“I strongly urge our Congress to pass the bipartisan legislation, Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trades Crime Act within this session. This Bill allocates $20,000,000 to Justic to investigate and prosecute Trade Crimes, and Justice is to report to Congress of their efforts. Without this law, and the mandate from Congress, I believe things will continue as they have in the past, with really no relief in sight, and the US giving up millions, probably hundreds of millions of dollars in evaded tariffs, not to mention the millions of jobs lost.”  – Milton Magnus, Chief Executive Officer, M&B Hangers

Background:

  1. Establishes a new task force, named program, or similar structure within DOJ’s Criminal Division to investigate and prosecute trade-related crimes.
  2. Enhances nationwide responses to trade-related offenses by providing training and technical assistance to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, expanding investigations and prosecutions, and collaborating with international partners.
  3. Requires the Attorney General to submit an annual report to Congress assessing the DOJ’s efforts, statistics on trade-related crimes, and fund utilization.