Here we go again.
On Dec. 6, Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced their Resilient Communities Act of 2023, which proposes using tariff revenue from antidumping and countervailing duties to help trade-affected regions of the country.
A one-page presser says “The bill is compliant with international trade obligations.” Probably not.
The bill calls for the Department of Commerce to give out economic development “grants” to local governments in areas adversely impacted by trade. In turn, local governments would award grants to domestic producers that were idled or made unprofitable by imports, for example. Priority would be given to those domestic producers “most likely to increase production and employment.”
The act draws its inspiration from the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000, better known as the “Byrd Amendment” because of the ardent support it received from Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.). Eleven countries sued over the Byrd Amendment at the World Trade Organization, which ruled in their favor in 2003.........