In 2001, when we were still toddlers, the United States welcomed China into the World Trade Organization, a move that our parents’ generation was told would pave the way for the spread of individual rights to the Chinese people. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had other plans. Instead of reforming China into a liberal democracy, the CCP grew in power, using its status as a trading partner to manipulate the global system and using its newfound wealth to gain an even tighter hold over Chinese politics. Since then, China and the CCP have played a major role in the decline of U.S. manufacturing. Unfortunately, our leaders in Congress and the White House have allowed China to take advantage of the U.S. manufacturing base at the expense of working-class families.

The importance of a strong industrial base cannot be overstated. It is the backbone of any robust economy by fostering wage growth and fortifying our global competitiveness. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed our vulnerability in the global supply chain, as we saw China dominate pharmaceutical manufacturing, with staggering market shares in antibiotics (97%), vitamin C (90%) and hydrocortisone (91%) to name a few. China also steals our intellectual property, monopolizes supply chains and floods international markets with goods far below competitive prices. Chinese companies now dominate the supply chains for key industries like battery manufacturing and solar energy, and the CCP wields centralized control over these markets. These international monopolies give China massive leverage in international relations — not to mention, they are the financial engine behind China’s growing military might. With no labor, environmental or quality standards, China plays by a completely different rule set.

The decline of our manufacturing base and the growth of low-wage jobs are inextricably linked, leaving us a tremendous opening here in the Beehive State.

This year, with the passage of H.R. 5, House Resolution Regarding the Trade Policies of the United States, we have an opportunity to push back. It is past time to hold China accountable for its low environmental standards and nonexistent labor laws. This resolution — which passed unanimously — identifies the threats posed to the U.S. by supply chain dependence on China, and it recognizes that China’s record-breaking levels of pollution are connected to its efforts to undercut American workers.

Most Utahns can already tell an American product from a Chinese one based on quality alone, but fewer may realize that China is also many times less energy-efficient in producing them as well. On some key manufactured goods, American production is 300% to 400% more efficient in terms of pollution. By disregarding modern pollution standards, manufacturers in China have a dramatic advantage over American companies that have to comply with robust EPA standards. Unable to compete, American companies move manufacturing overseas, and the families of blue-collar workers who depended on them for employment are hung out to dry.

It makes no sense that we regulate American companies but allow state-owned Chinese companies to flood our market with goods made with no environmental or labor standards. It is even more bizarre that we are letting a communist country use our consumers to fund their growing influence in the world. Establishing a system that holds China accountable for their pollution is long overdue. H.R. 5 calls on Congress to establish trade laws that hold China and other high-polluting countries accountable for pollution and to promote the rebuilding of U.S. supply chains.

Research supports what we already know — quality jobs with high wages, good insurance and dependable paychecks don’t just benefit individual families; they strengthen communities. By leveling the playing field with a country that doesn’t play by our rules, we can bring manufacturing back to Utah, and strengthen our environment in the process. All Utahns agree that we want a healthy environment, clean air, drinkable water and pristine natural resources. How we get there, or how we continue to improve, has long been a source of disagreement. This year with a vote of 71-0, the Utah House of Representatives sent a clear message: Responsible environmental stewardship does not mean dependence on China.

Grayson Massey is the managing partner of Sugarhouse Strategies. Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, represents District 60 in the Utah House of Representatives.

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