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TO MEMORIALIZE THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO URGE IT TO STUDY UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES INVOLVING CERTAIN TYPES OF PAPER BEING SOLD AT LESS THAN FAIR MARKET VALUE IN UNITED STATES MARKETS BY SOME FOREIGN PRODUCERS, TO ESTIMATE THE IMPACT OF THESE UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES ON DOMESTIC PRODUCERS, AND TO IMPOSE DUTIES ON PAPER PRODUCTS THAT ARE UNFAIRLY PRICED.
Whereas, the paper, pulp, and forestry industry is a vital sector of the United States economy and is responsible for maintaining hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs that produce billions of dollars in direct economic impact; and
Whereas, paper manufacturers in the United States have been under increasing competition from China, Indonesia, Brazil, Portugal, and Australia; and
Whereas, domestic paper manufacturers welcome fair and open competition as a way to increase efficiency and maintain low prices; and
Whereas, selling exported products at less than fair value while increasing prices in a producer's domestic market to sustain profitability, a practice known commonly as "dumping", is an unfair trade practice that is detrimental to the long-term economic health of all; and
Whereas, since 2000, the United States government has found conclusive evidence of certain products being dumped in the domestic market and has imposed duties on these products to discourage this illegal trade practice; and
Whereas, since 2011, eight United States paper mills have either closed or curtailed operations, eliminating thousands of jobs and directly impacting their supporting communities; and
Whereas, domestic manufacturers of uncoated paper are now under threat from illegal trade practices by foreign competitors, which has been caused, in part, by a forty percent increase in exports in the past year from China, Indonesia, Brazil, Portugal and Australia, which represents nearly a four percent increase in the total domestic market share in that time period; and
Whereas, the jobs created by domestic paper producers and the enormous positive economic impact these companies have on communities are too valuable to be lost to unfair trade practices. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, respectfully memorialize the United States Department of Commerce to expeditiously investigate unfair trade practices involving certain types of uncoated paper being sold in United States' markets at prices less than the cost of product in the exporter's home country, to estimate the direct and indirect impact these trade practices have on domestic producers of paper products, and to recommend the imposition of duties on imports of paper products that are unfairly priced.
Be it resolved that a copy of this concurrent resolution be sent to the President of the United States and the Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce.
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