One hundred and sixty-nine legislators recently sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer calling for a process allowing companies to request exclusion from Chinese import tariffs.
The $200 billion tariffs were imposed in March and since $300 billion more in tariffs have been added since.
The letter acknowledges China has engaged in unfair trade practices, especially when it comes to intellectual property, innovation, and technology transfer. It also praises the office of the USTR for being transparent and being deliberate when making its tariff lists.
“An exclusion process is vital to ensuring that U.S. companies can seek relief in the event that there are no alternative suppliers or if special circumstances exist that could harm their ability to compete in the global marketplace,” the letter said. “The process should be fact-based, with criteria specified in the Federal Register for companies to meet to qualify for an exclusion. Such a meaningful process would allow U.S. companies to evaluate whether they meet the criteria and should devote resources to seeking exclusions.”
The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) supports the letter and applauds the Congress members. MEMA has been advocating for a clear and efficient exclusion process.