Madison Reporter

Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, recently participated in a roundtable discussion in Stoughton, Wisconsin, addressing the imminent threat to American manufacturing.

"The decline of American industry is not inevitable," Gallagher said. "It never has been. Deindustrialization is a policy choice. And it’s been the favored choice of both parties for far too long."

Gallagher was joined by fellow members of the Select Committee on the CCP, including Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Darin LaHood, along with several CEOs from US manufacturing businesses. Among the attendees were Bob Wahlin, CEO of Stoughton Trailers, where the group convened, Steve Kramer, President of United Steelworkers Local 9777, and Mamun Rashid, CEO of Auxin Solar, according to a press release.

Stoughton Trailers manufactures truck chassis, the framework for truck trailers, a product that is facing unfair competition from illegal production by Chinese companies. Stoughton has been in business since 1961 and earned the ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Intermodal Chassis Production in Evansville last year, according to Stoughton Trailers.

"There's a common concern among Democrats and Republicans, that unfortunately, the Chinese Communist Party is engaging in economic aggression, to try to undercut American competitiveness, whether it's dumping goods, stealing intellectual property, or cyber hacking," Krishnamoorthi said.

In 2021, Wahlin achieved victory over a CCP-owned competitor because they were "selling the entire chassis to U.S. companies for less than the cost of the steel in the frame alone". Stoughton Trailers, along with four other chassis manufacturers, collaborated with the Coalition of American Chassis Manufacturers and took action against the Chinese competitor. This was a significant accomplishment not only for Stoughton Trailers but also for fellow U.S. chassis manufacturers, according to a press release.

"It's an inspiring story of Wisconsin and American Grit in the face of the CCP's economic progression," said Gallagher about the Stoughton case. "We need a coherent strategy in terms of trade incentives and regulatory policy that helps companies like Stoughton survive against this economic progression we're seeing."