NEW YORK STATE -- New York's junior U.S. Senator said it is time for the government to crack down on unfair trade practices by China.

In a meeting with united autoworkers and other union leaders in Syracuse, Kirsten Gillibrand said Chinese policies of subsidizing a variety of goods have given them an unfair advantage and have cost thousands of American jobs.

Gillibrand wants to give the Commerce Department authority to impose stiffer tariffs to products from China that have been unfairly backed by Chinese government funding.

Gillibrand said, “So, if China is subsidizing or doing things unfairly, whatever the cost of that unfair, illegal subsidy is, we can put on a tariff of that amount. That is absolutely legal. But what's been happening is, the department of Commerce said they're not actually able to do that. That Congress would have to write a law."

Gillibrand said if her proposal is not approved by Congress soon, as many as 80,000 American jobs could be in jeopardy.