WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander Levin said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's testimony on China's currency practices on Thursday will be "very important" in deciding how to move on a bill that would levy duties against Beijing.
"After he testifies, I'm going to sit down and talk with this committee, and with the leadership, and with the Senate, as well as with the administration, and decide on the next step," said Levin, who gave no indication on what course he favors in the contentious debate over a currency bill.
Geithner will present the Obama administration's view on the Chinese currency issue in testimony before the House panel and the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday.
Levin opened a China currency hearing at his committee on Wednesday saying he preferred to enlist other countries to pressure China to raise the value of the yuan, but he also endorsed the use of duties against Beijing's currency practices.
Asked by reporters abut using the World Trade Organization to file a complaint against China, he said: "Going to the WTO remains a very viable alternative. It should have been done long ago,"
(Reporting by Paul Eckert; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
