CSUSTL is a trade association headquartered in Washington DC. Our membership consists of 429 companies and organizations representing 167 industries, agriculture,
and mining sectors. Current members have facilities/sites located in all 50 states of the nation. Member companies and organizations are situated in the congressional districts/states of 223 House Members and 100 Senators.
How it began >
During the late 20th century the Uruguay Round included the governments of 123 countries in negotiations to create an international organization to govern almost all trade in the world from pencils to telecommunications. It was the largest trade negotiation ever in the history of the world. Many US trading partners saw this as their opportunity to strip away the 100-year-old trade remedy laws used by the US to protect against unfair trade practices. Fair and effective the laws were viewed as an obstacle by these nations in their efforts to capture US markets by using unfair trade practices to destroy US business. Many within the US government felt we would ultimately need to sacrifice the trade laws to get a deal. In January of 1989 a small group of US companies and law firms banded together to maintain and improve these laws in the negotiations. They were called the Committee To Support US Trade Laws, or CSUSTL. In April, 1994, the final deal was signed by all 123 governments. Against overwhelming odds the group was successful in its advocacy to preserve the effectiveness of the laws, and has continued that mission ever since.
December 2023: The Committee to Support US Trade Laws (CSUSTL) maintains an online video library open to the public. The clearinghouse provides technical briefings on the trade remedy laws, by internationally recognized experts, as well as telling real world stories from companies across the nation that have been injured by unfair trade practices but able to use these laws to save their companies and local communities. In late December, 2023, CSUSTL incorporated over 120 minutes of new content to the archive reviewing technical details of the existing laws and needed policy changes. These new videos are developed from a panel of 5 US experts who provided comments to an audience comprised of industry, congressional staff, and US government agency officials in late 2023. The CSUSTL technical panel consisted of a former General Counsel for the USTR, former USTR Ambassador, former White House National Security Counsel; former congressional committee staffer, and former Senior Attorney at the DoC Enforcement & Compliance office. A video recording of the presentations can be obtained online at our website csustl.us on the home page. It may also be accessed through YouTube.
Late January through February 2024: In coordination with congressional supporters on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, CSUSTL conducted a blitz advocacy effort seeking full funding of the International Trade Administration (ITA), and specifically the Enforcement & Compliance budget line using the FY24 President’s Budget Request (PBR) figure. Under the FY24 PBR the expected funding for the E&C account would be roughly $135 million. This is a figure which should permit ITA to cover the expected overhead costs associated with the establishment of the 9th enforcement office. However, the PBR figure would be reduced to $111 million (a loss of $24 million or 18%) if the overall House figure of $558 million is accepted for ITA in conference. The House cuts would significantly disrupt enforcement activities by eliminating 2-3 of the existing 9 enforcement offices.
February 2024: CSUSTL opened its annual Roundtable Speaker Series on February 27th in a meeting with Ryan Majerus, of the Department of Commerce. Majerus is performing the non-exclusive duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance at the International Trade Administration. This includes enforcing U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws and holding trading partners accountable for their obligations under trade agreements. The session was attended by members of the manufacturing, service, and agriculture sectors, as well as various unions representing over 170 US industries. It was held in Washington DC.
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