This week, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on unfair trade practices and boosting manufacturing jobs in the state.
McCaskill says many Missouri companies have expressed frustration that an increasing number of foreign shippers are using unscrupulous and illegal tactics to avoid paying penalties they owe for illegal trade practices.
She says the legislation will help in pursuing and successfully collecting duties.
“And prosecuting those who are committing fraud by cheating, by mislabeling their products, or routing them through other countries surreptitiously to avoid the law here in this country,” said McCaskill during a conference call with reporters.
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., says he and McCaskill are also co-sponsoring legislation by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that deals with the issue of relabeling.
“It used to be called transshipment where the nail factory in Poplar Bluff gets a ruling that the Chinese are in fact pursuing illegal trade policies and there’s a penalty,” said Blunt. “So, the Chinese just send their nails somewhere else and have another label put on them instead of paying the penalty.”
Blunt says that although he has yet to thoroughly review McCaskill’s proposal, he believes the Wyden legislation is more workable and is in favor of that plan.
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