Protecting American Jobs:
Securing the U.S. Shipbuilding Industry
Since being extended Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) in 2000, the policies of Chinese Communist Party have devastated our economy through their illegal trade practices. This has had a ripple effect which has led to the loss of tens of thousands of U.S. manufacturing facilities and millions of jobs. In recent years, China has crafted a comprehensive approach to control global transportation and logistics networks to dominate the world’s shipping industry.
What has happened to U.S. shipbuilding?
- Our capacity has been diminished. - The U.S. now finds itself building fewer than ten commercial oceanic vessels each year -China builds over one thousand.
- We’re losing jobs. - U.S. shipyard closures and reductions have cut over seventy thousand jobs in recent decades, and major U.S. shipyards have been cut from twenty-seven to eight.
- Our supply chain is suffering. - The supply base has seen an even greater production and job loss in communities across the country and that is hurting our members’ jobs.
Our union has never shied away from using U.S. trade laws and tools to help defend and bolster our members’ jobs and industries. For decades, the USW has fought against harmful trade policies and held bad actors accountable. We intend to continue that work as we are preparing to file a Section 301 case against China regarding their predatory commercial shipbuilding and transportation practices.
Our trade laws specifically authorize action to ensure that unfair trade in the shipbuilding sector can be addressed. We need to use that provision to respond to China’s predatory practices and help revitalize domestic shipbuilding and the entire supply chain.
Please stay tuned to Rapid Response in the coming months to find out how you can help us protect American jobs – our members’ jobs – by holding China accountable.
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(412) 562-2291 http://www.uswrr.org
