Cord Byrd: “Senator Landrieu joined me in including important language in the Senate report that accompanies the Homeland Security…”

“Senator Landrieu joined me in including important language in the Senate report that accompanies the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008. This language addresses a serious trade problem that is affecting the United States and many of its most critical industries. Our report language directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection to undertake a more vigorous approach to collecting unpaid antidumping and countervailing duties which are owed the United States under the U.S. trade laws. In our report language, the Appropriations Committee directs CBP to work with the Departments of Commerce and Treasury and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to increase the collection of duties owed on unfairly traded U.S. imports. CBP--Customs and Border Protection--is directed to provide an annual report to the committee within 30 days of each year's distributions under the Continued Dumping and Subsidies Offset Act. The CBP report must summarize the Agency's efforts to collect past-due amounts and to increase current collections, particularly with respect to cases involving unfairly traded U.S. imports from China.”