Tammy Baldwin Discusses Investigation Into China's Shipbuilding Practices

Thursday, April 25th, 2024 -- 12:01 PM

(Joe Schulz, Wisconsin Public Radio) U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said a new federal investigation into China’s shipbuilding practices is the first step toward addressing the country’s alleged unfair trade practices and to protecting the industry in Wisconsin and across the country.

According to Joe Schulz with Wisconsin Public Radio, Baldwin held an event Monday at Fincantieri Ace Marine in Green Bay to highlight the investigation. The company builds vessels for the U.S. Navy and commercial customers at the Wisconsin shipyard.

She was joined by officials from the United Steelworkers union and the nonprofit Alliance for American Manufacturing. She said the United States Trade Representative is leading the investigation, which will collect data about trade practices that allow Chinese shipbuilders to undercut domestic manufacturers.

“There’s a range of ways in which the U.S. Trade Representative could act to level the playing field for U.S. workers and U.S. shipbuilding operations,” Baldwin said.

The Wisconsin Democrat said unfair trade practices by China have allowed the country to surge ahead of the United States in shipbuilding over the last two decades. She said those practices include subsidizing shipbuilding to undercut U.S. prices, a lack of labor protections and writing off certain manufacturing costs.

Last year, China built more than 1,000 commercial vessels, while the United States produced fewer than 10, Baldwin said. That imbalance, she said, drove her to push the Biden Administration to take action to address the issue.

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