A couple weeks after the U.S. set a precedent by slapping tariffs on some paper products imported from China, there's more action on the China trade front. This time, the U.S. government says it will file two cases with the World Trade Organization in an effort to get China to stop pirates from illegally copying movies and music within its borders.

U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab insists the timing of the WTO action against China on intellectual property issues isn’t driven by domestic politics. But the case against China should bolster the administrations trade agenda on Capitol Hill. The President needs support of lawmakers to pass several trade deals. For years, lawmakers have complained about China’s lax enforcement on piracy. Today, those critics applauded the move.

But the President still faces a tough road ahead to win support for his trade agenda, which includes pending free trade agreements with Panama, Peru, Colombia and South Korea. Trade deals require a fair amount of political capital to get passed; and, with his current approval ratings, the President doesn’t have much capital.