On Wednesday, the Trump Administration announced that they are considering increasing the Section 301 tariff on $200 billion in Chinese products from 10 to 25 percent – which includes boats, marine parts, and trailer tires. Because of this development, the administration has extended the deadline for submitting comments and requests to testify, and NMMA is encouraging all affected members to weigh in.
Click here to file comments and a request to testify: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USTR-2018-0026-0001
The written comment period will now close on September 5, and the due date for requests to appear at the public hearing is August 13. NMMA can assist interested parties with all aspects of the submission process.
In response to the potential increase, NMMA’s Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Legal Affairs, Nicole Vasilaros, stated, “If the administration proceeds with more than doubling the proposed tariff on the most recent Section 301 list – which targets a range of commonly used marine products – it will only escalate, not alleviate, the trade conflict. From tariffs on raw materials and components, to retaliatory tariffs that have frozen international markets, the recreational boating industry continues to bear the brunt of these trade actions.”
Vasilaros continued, “As we have said before, China should be held accountable for unfair trade practices against American businesses. But beefing up tariffs that do not address the core problem is not the answer.
“We’re all for reworking old trade agreements that no longer benefit American jobs and businesses. And we urge President Trump to use last week’s agreement with the European Union as a blueprint for how to proceed — let’s work with our allies and swiftly hold others accountable through negotiated trade agreements.”
Earlier this week, NMMA met with senior White House officials to discuss the compounding effects of tariffs. Ms. Vasilaros raised the impact on the industry and encouraged the administration to take retaliation off the table as they negotiate with Canada, the European Union, and Mexico.
NMMA is continuing to be loud on this issue, including in the media. Over the past few months, NMMA has garnered nearly 500 media stories, reaching 138 million people in 48 states. A graphic highlighting NMMA’s top trade press hits is available here: http://nmma.net/assets/cabinets/Cabinet517/NMMA%20Speaks%20on%20Trade.pdf
For more information, please contact NMMA Senior Vice President of Government and Legal Affairs, Nicole Vasilaros at nvasilaros@nmma.org or NMMA Director of Federal Affairs, Lance West at lwest@nmma.org.