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Industry groups line up against tariffs

7/24/2018
The Power Tool Institute, the International Wood Products Association and the American Home Furnishings Alliance were among the 66 signatories of an anti-tariff letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer this week.

The 66 organizations representing U.S. retailers, manufacturers, farmers, agribusinesses, technology companies and other industries wrote to Lighthizer on the administration’s proposed tariffs on $16 billion of Chinese imports. The groups expressed their concern over how the proposed tariffs, along with the threat of additional tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, are the wrong approach and will harm U.S. companies, workers and consumers.

“Imposing tariffs on Chinese imports will not have the effect that the administration desires,” the coalition wrote in their July 24 letter. “If the goal is to open markets for U.S. goods and services abroad, the use of tariffs goes against that goal … We are no longer in a ‘trade dispute.’ The tit-for-tat tariffs have now landed us in a trade war that is starting to do real harm to U.S. businesses, workers, farmers and consumers. Tariffs hurt the economy as a whole as well as jobs and consumers in every state.”

The groups urged the administration to outline a full strategy to address long-standing issues over China’s trade practices and consult with businesses and Congress to develop a joint approach.

The National Retail Federation signed the letter. The NRF also submitted their own comments to the USTR.

“Imposing additional tariffs on more products will not motivate China to change its practices or bring them to the negotiating table,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French wrote. “In addition, it should be noted that for many products made in China that would be affected by tariffs, it will likely be Chinese factory owners who will move to other locations in southeast Asia to get around the tariffs, so they will have no appreciable impact on the overall U.S. trade deficit or on Chinese interests.”

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Read the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association's stance here.
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