TO THE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports H.R. 4318, the “Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act of 2017,” which would enhance the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers of all sizes. The Chamber urges you to support H.R. 318, and will consider including votes on, or in relation to, this bill in our annual How They Voted Scorecard.
Over the past three decades, the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) has enjoyed strong bipartisan support because it helps manufacturers cut production costs and maintain their competitive edge by providing temporary relief from select tariffs. These are taxes applied to imported materials and intermediate products that are essential to U.S. manufacturers but are generally unavailable domestically.
However, since the expiration of the last MTB in 2012, U.S. businesses both large and small have faced hundreds of millions of dollars in higher tariff costs. The negative impact on the competitiveness of American companies has been especially significant for small and mid-sized firms. These higher costs limit the ability of companies to expand production, hire additional workers, or invest in new cost-saving equipment.
H.R. 4318 includes nearly 1,700 petitions that the U.S. International Trade Commission confirmed in August for products not produced or available in the United States to be included in the MTB. Among the manufacturing sectors most likely to benefit are chemicals, agriculture, textiles, footwear, electrical equipment, machinery, and sporting equipment. Based on one analysis, this legislation would eliminate import tariffs of more than $1.1 billion over the next three years and boost U.S. manufacturing output by more than $3.1 billion.
The Chamber urges the House to pass H.R. 4318 to preserve American jobs and improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.
Sincerely,
Jack Howard
Senior Vice President
Congressional and Public Affairs
