The region’s congressional delegation in Washington is leading a bipartisan effort to protect chemical manufacturers in West Virginia.
U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., along with U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., are asking U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to reverse a Commerce decision that threatens domestic manufacturers of chlorinated isocyanurates (isos), a cleaning chemical used often for swimming pools.
In South Charleston, more than 100 direct jobs at one of the nations’ chlorinated iso producers are at stake, according to the three lawmakers.
“We are writing to express our concern over a preliminary determination by the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) that threatens the future of domestic manufacturers in our state and across the nation,” the three lawmakers wrote in a letter to Raimondo, adding that without action domestic manufacturing jobs in West Virginia would be threatened, along with U.S. trade remedy laws being undermined.
The three lawmakers also argue that the decision would further weaken the nation’s ability to compete fairly against China’s use of unfair trade practices.
In South Charleston, West Virginia, over 100 direct jobs at Solenis, one of the nations’ chlorinated iso producers, are at stake, Miller, Capito and Manchin said.
Across the country, thousands more workers would be adversely affected if the industry is compromised. The purpose of U.S. antidumping and countervailing duties is to create a level playing field for domestic producers. Commerce’s preliminary determination effectively removes the remedy, the three lawmakers argued.
“On behalf of the workers in West Virginia, the operational health of the broader domestic industry, and the safety of American consumers, we respectfully request your intervention to correct course before a final determination is issued,” Miller, Capito and Manchin added in the letter to Raimondo.