Letter supporting H.R. 4380, the "Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act"

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region, strongly supports H.R. 4380, the “Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act,” commonly referred to as the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB). Tens of thousands of American workers and hundreds of American companies depend on the MTB for relief from tariffs that serve only to raise costs for U.S. manufacturers and other U.S. businesses.

According to guidelines established by Congress, the MTB is a vehicle for the temporary suspension or reduction of duties levied on imported materials or intermediate products that are not produced domestically, or where there is no domestic opposition. By eliminating these tariffs, the MTB lowers costs and helps U.S. businesses maintain their competitive edge.

The process for approving products for duty suspension under the MTB is fully transparent. All tariff suspension requests go through a vetting process to determine whether any affected products are produced domestically or whether there is any domestic opposition. Requests are subject to review by the Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Opportunities for public comment are provided by both the executive branch and Congress.

Since the expiration of the last MTB on December 31, 2009, U.S. businesses both large and small have faced higher costs for imported inputs not available from domestic sources. The savings afforded by the MTB will help these firms to invest in training and equipment and enhance their competitiveness.

Given its importance for preserving American jobs, the MTB should receive the same strong bipartisan support it has in the past, and the Chamber urges you to support its swift approval. The Chamber will consider including votes on, or in relation to, this issue in our annual How They Voted scorecard.

Sincerely,
R. Bruce Josten