Congressman Ralph Norman of South Carolina will address the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in Washington, D.C. this week as the panel prepares to make recommendations to the White House regarding a dispute over large residential washing machines.
You read that right … large residential washing machines.
According to a news release from Norman’s office, the congressman’s testimony before the commission will “discuss the potential harmful effects of trade remedies for American consumers.”
“The congressman’s testimony will focus on the impact of government intervention in the marketplace on almost 1,000 South Carolina jobs,” Norman spokeswoman Jessica Cahill said. “It will highlight the harmful effects of broad sweeping bans and tariffs on imported products and parts on consumer markets.”
The ITC is currently investigating complaints by Whirlpool – a Benton Harbor, Michigan-based company that is locked in a battle with South Korean companies Samsung and LG Corporation.
Whirlpool claims Samsung and LG are violating U.S. trade rules, and want the ITC to agree – and recommend sanctions to U.S. president Donald Trump.
Incidentally, Trump praised Samsung during a visit to South Carolina earlier this week – saying he was a fan of the company’s products. Samsung recently announced its intention to open an appliance manufacturing facility in Newberry, S.C. that will employ (you guessed it) 1,000 people over the next three years.
Obviously we’ll keep a close eye on this situation as Trump’s administration has repeatedly promised to take a closer look at America’s trade agreements. Trump narrowly won Michigan in 2016, too, adding to the political calculus associated with this decision.
Stay tuned …
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