Reps. Panetta, Valadao Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Pay Back Garlic Producers

Washington, DC - U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and David Valadao (CA-22) reintroduced the China Trade Cheating Restitution Act, to ensure that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) distributes the remaining anti-dumping duties to U.S. garlic, honey, and crawfish producers that weren't paid by the agencies between 2000 and 2014.

Under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 (CDSOA), CBP still owes garlic producers, which both Reps. Panetta and Valadao represent, an additional $10.5 million in retroactive duties. These producers have suffered years of abusive dumping practices by China and are owed that amount in restitution that was wrongly kept from them by CBP.

"The federal government has failed to pay the required restitution to impacted producers from the dumping duties it collected on Chinese garlic imports," said Rep. Panetta. "This bipartisan bill would right that wrong by requiring CBP to pay all collected duties and interest to those in our agricultural sector who deserve it. By passing this legislation, we can push the federal government to fulfill its responsibilities, to not only to prevent dumping by China, but also to provide the proper remedy to our garlic growers and producers."

"Central Valley producers are the backbone of our nation's domestic garlic supply, but China's practice of dumping garlic into the U.S. market has unfairly impacted competition," said Rep. Valadao. "Since 2000, Customs and Border Protection has collected duties on these imports as required by law, yet our growers still haven't received the payments they're owed. This bipartisan, bicameral bill ensures domestic producers finally receive those funds and gives them a fair chance to compete in the domestic market."

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