Washington, DC — The Automotive Trade Policy Council (ATPC), whose members include Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, has endorsed H.R. 1127, legislation introduced by Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) that would ensure that U.S. automotive companies and other U.S. manufacturers have a voice in anti-dumping and countervailing duty trade cases.

Under current U.S. law, industrial users do not have standing in antidumping and countervailing duty cases even though a decision to place tariffs on raw materials and other production inputs can deeply affect their global competitiveness. H.R. 1127, the “American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act”, would give industrial users such as auto manufacturers legal standing in trade remedy cases involving those products.

In a letter to Rep. Knollenberg, ATPC President Stephen J. Collins wrote, “The Automotive Trade Policy Council appreciates [Representative Knollenberg’s] efforts to maintain a strong U.S. automotive manufacturing base…Your legislation makes good economic sense and brings fairness to the trade remedy process.”

Added Collins, “Rep. Knollenberg has been a strong and long-time supporter of the U.S. automotive industry and we appreciate his ongoing efforts to maintain a solid manufacturing base in this country.”

In a statement, Representative Knollenberg said, “I am pleased to have the support of the Automotive Trade Policy Council... The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act will inject some fairness into the process of determining whether countervailing duties and tariffs should be imposed on imported steel and will protect the domestic auto industry from bearing the burden of excessive raw material costs related to bad trade policy.”

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The Automotive Trade Policy Council, Inc. (ATPC) is a Washington, D.C. — based non profit trade association that represents the common international economic, trade and investment interests of its member companies: Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation. For more information, visit www.autotradecouncil.org.