Democrats Seek Action On Trade-Secret Theft

The top two Democrats on the House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee are urging the White House to formally target China for the theft of U.S. trade secrets. Designating China as a “priority foreign country” under the Trade Act of 1974 could lead to punitive duties on Chinese goods if U.S. concerns are not addressed, Reps. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) and Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) say in a letter to Acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios J. Marantis. “It looks very much as though the Chinese government is stealing our companies’ trade secrets and passing them along to their [state-owned enterprises], and possibly other Chinese companies,” they write. The White House unveiled a new strategy on Feb. 20 for tackling trade-secret theft that includes greater use of existing U.S. trade tools, such as imposing sanctions on nations that threaten U.S. intellectual property. A report outlining the plan lists more than a dozen cases—including some involving Dow and DuPont—of trade-secret theft by Chinese companies or individuals.