Rob Portman : Portman, Brown Applaud Trump Decision to Provide Trade Relief for Ohio Whirlpool Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) applauded President Trump's decision to enforce our long-standing trade rules by establishing a tariff on imports of large residential washing machines. At a White House signing ceremony later today President Trump will impose remedies to protect against surging imports of washing machines. In doing so, President Trump is standing up for the workers at Whirlpool's Clyde, Ohio plant who had been hurt by unfair washing machine imports by Samsung and LG. Portman and Brown both testified at ITC on behalf of Whirlpool, and urged ITC to take make a positive ruling. In October, the ITC ruled in favor of Whirlpool, and then presented a list of recommended remedies to Ambassador Lighthizer. Earlier this month, the Senators also sent a letter to Ambassador Lighthizer, asking that the recommendation to President Trump be to provide broad relief for the U.S. washing machine industry in response serial trade violations by companies like LG and Samsung.

'I am pleased that the President and the U.S. Trade Representative have taken decisive action to level the playing field and protect American jobs,' said Portman. 'After moving their production from overseas back to Clyde, Ohio, Whirlpool has had to fight a series of cases against companies who would rather cheat than compete. Senator Brown and I fought for Whirlpool's hardworking Ohio employees earlier this month, and I am pleased to see that much of our recommendation is reflected in today's remedy.'

'This is welcome news for the thousands of Whirlpool workers in Clyde, Ohio, whose jobs have been threatened by a surge of cheap washers,' said Brown. 'These tariffs will help level the playing field, and show anyone who tries to cheat our trade laws that they won't get away with it. I applaud the Administration for this strong relief, and will continue to work to strengthen our trade laws so this cheating can't happen in the first place.'

'This is a great day for American workers in Ohio and beyond,' said Whirlpool Chairman Jeff M. Fettig. 'Today's announcement sends a strong message that the U.S. government will crack down on companies that violate our trade rules. We thank and congratulate members of the Ohio delegation for making such a strong stand on behalf of the more than 3,000 workers at the Whirlpool facility in Clyde, Ohio, and the thousands more whose livelihoods depend on that plant. We could not have done this without their support. Their hard work will send a strong message to any countries and companies that break our trade laws and the workers throughout Ohio who depend on their staunch support.'

Since 2012, Ohio's Senators have fought against these unfair trade practices that have harmed Whirlpool, and most recently helped secure relief in a case against washing machine imports from China.

Portman and Brown worked to get the Leveling the Playing Field Act signed into law in June 2015, restoring strength to antidumping and countervailing duty statutes that allow businesses and workers in the United States to petition the Commerce Department and the ITC when foreign producers sell goods in the U.S. below market price or receive illegal subsidies. The law led to key wins for Ohio steel companies in major trade cases last year on cold-rolled, hot-rolled, and corrosion-resistant steel, including U.S. Steel, Nucor, ArcelorMittal, and AK Steel, which together employ more than 8,200 Ohio workers.

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