Dayton Daily News...
Turner offers bill to bust down export barriers  
November 25, 2011 

WEST CARROLLTON — More exports mean more jobs as the region struggles to emerge from the economic downturn, and no business knows that better than Appleton Papers Inc. 

The West Carrollton employer of 450 workers with $850 million in sales last year ships product to 70 countries. But the employee-owned paper maker wouldn’t be as stable an employer today had it not won a 2008 International Trade Commission case against unfair imports from China and Germany that undercut its market here. 

Not all companies are as financially powerful to wage huge legal battles, and not fighting or losing

market share means layoffs or even closure. Those small and midsize companies need more aggressive help from federal authorities, said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, who said Ohio’s employment rate would be improved if the U.S. pushed more to get “Made in the USA” products into nations with illegitimate trade barriers. 

Turner introduced a bill Oct. 5 to give Miami Valley exporting companies stronger backing by requiring U.S. trade authorities to make swift decisions and fast-track investigations. The bill is now under consideration in a House committee. 

Exports to foreign markets is an important issue to the Miami Valley, where exports from Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Preble counties are on a sharp downward trend since 2008. That year saw $4.5 billion in exports. 

The total for 2010 — which has not been finalized yet — is on track for $2.5 billion, largely because of huge auto industry losses, Dayton Development Coalition data show. 

“With unemployment hovering around 9 percent, Ohio workers and businesses deserve a balanced trade process. We must undertake a serious effort to help U.S. companies overcome unfair trade barriers and ensure they have the opportunity to reach the 95 percent of the world’s consumers that live outside our borders,” Turner said. “U.S. companies should have every opportunity to have their complaints investigated and acted on. Failing to do so costs jobs and impedes the economic growth this country is counting on to get people back to work.” 

Bill Van Den Brandt of Appleton said losing its case “would have had a significant impact on the business. We were competing against unfair pricing. It would have meant a loss of sales, profits.” 

Prominent examples of import barriers show up with Argentina, India, Japan and China, Turner said. China — which sold $273 billion more in the U.S. than the U.S. sold there in 2010 — isn’t adequately addressing U.S. intellectual property stolen by businesses, restricts many agricultural imports and taxes imports inconsistently, Turner said. 

It’s not only China. Advanced Drainage Systems of Hilliard, a 40-year-old employee-owned company with 700 workers, has reported discriminatory tactics by the Mexican government. 

Ohio Sens. Rob Portman, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, have called on the Obama Administration to demand Mexico relent. “Though ADS has an existing presence in Mexico, the Mexican government illegally shut out American producers by requiring an arbitrary technical standard without warning,” the senators said. 

Turner’s bill sets a strict time limit — 180 days — for a section of the Commerce Department to decide a company’s complaint of illegal trade barriers. They may then attempt to resolve the issue directly with the foreign nation. If there’s no resolution, the Secretary of Commerce must issue a decision on whether the complaint is legitimate and, if so, send the complaint to the U.S. Trade Representative. At that point, the U.S. Trade Representative must formally investigate it with the potential of presentation to the World Trade Organization. 

That process has worked recently, with China backing down on illegal state subsidies to its wind energy turbine industry. 

Now, under the current process, most small and medium companies are required to spend large sums for legal help to petition the U.S. Trade Representative. “This will help to create jobs right here at home. Only the U.S. government can ensure that U.S. trade agreements are enforced,” Turner said. 

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