Durbin, Commerce Secretary Nominee Discuss Jobs, Trade Issues Important to Illinois
DURBIN, COMMERCE SECRETARY NOMINEE DISCUSS JOBS, TRADE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO ILLINOIS
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) met today with Carlos Gutierrez, President Bush's nominee for U.S. Secretary of Commerce, to discuss issues affecting jobs and businesses in Illinois.
"The United States needs to create jobs at home," Durbin said. "The loss of 2.7 million manufacturing jobs in the last four years and increased outsourcing of American jobs continues to hurt millions of American families. Illinois has a strong tradition of manufacturing, so these losses have been particularly painful in our state."
At their meeting, Durbin expressed his support for the steel industry and encouraged Mr. Gutierrez to extend and expand the steel import monitoring licensing system. Import monitoring in the steel sector is absolutely critical to the U.S. steel industry to prevent another devastating surge of unfairly traded steel imports, like the surge of 1998.
Durbin also urged the Secretary-designate to take firm action when foreign manufacturers dump their goods in U.S. markets at unfairly low prices, and to take an aggressive stand against unfair manipulation of foreign currency, particularly in the case of China.
"Both business leaders and labor groups agree that purposely undervaluing currency, as China has done, is one of the most serious violations of the spirit and rules of international trade," Durbin said. "Chinese goods now enjoy a huge price advantage which they use to drive American firms out of business. I have encouraged the incoming Commerce Secretary to take action to persuade China to adjust its currency to its true value, leveling the playing field for American industries that have suffered under this policy."
"Today was an opportunity to sit down with Mr. Gutierrez and discuss those issues he will encounter at the Department of Commerce that touch the lives of my constituents in Illinois," said Durbin. "I look forward to working with him in his new position to create jobs in Illinois and across the nation and to keep U.S. industry at the forefront of the global economy."
http://durbin.senate.gov/releases.cfm