In 2001, the U.S. woke a sleeping giant by welcoming China into the World Trade Organization. Washington promised that the move would bring benefits to both countries.
In 2024, the results of this experiment are crystal clear: our trade relationship with Beijing has become wholly one-sided thanks to cheating and corner-cutting by the Chinese Communist Party. The result: we’ve packed up our manufacturing base and sent it into the arms of China’s warm embrace.
But the CCP is relentless, and won’t stop until they have dominance over the global supply chain. Central to their strategy is lowering production costs by flagrantly violating labor and environmental standards adhered to by the rest of the developed world.
I’m glad to see Utah is now addressing this issue head-on.
We know that manufacturing is China’s strength, and lenient access to Western markets is their Achilles heel. That’s why, during our legislative session, legislators called on Washington for a trade policy that holds them accountable. Now, Rep. John Curtis (alongside co-sponsors Reps. Blake Moore and Celeste Maloy) have introduced legislation that does that. This is the right direction to take.
If China wants to use slave labor, or treat the atmosphere as their dumping ground — and still have access to the international marketplace — then they ought to be held accountable. Otherwise, Utahns are getting the short end of the stick.
Grayson Massey, Bluffdale
