To the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (“the Chamber”) urges the House to agree to the proposed resolutions terminating the national emergencies declared to impose broad-based tariffs, including those applied to Canada, Mexico, and other close partners.
We hear from American farmers, workers, and business owners about the harm inflicted by broad-based tariffs and the associated economic uncertainty. American families are facing thousands of dollars in higher prices as a result of these increased taxes. Small businesses, manufacturers, farmers, and ranchers are struggling with higher costs. Broad-based tariffs are particularly inappropriate in the case of countries such as Canada and Mexico, where zero-for-zero tariff reciprocity applied to virtually all goods prior to these novel duties.
In addition, the Chamber has long supported legislative proposals to reassert congressional prerogatives on trade as a means to securing durable outcomes. The Constitution grants exclusive authority to the Congress “to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises… [and] to regulate commerce with foreign nations,” and exercising leadership on this front should be a priority given today’s challenging economic outlook.
By passing legislation to reclaim its constitutional role setting tariffs, Congress can restore appropriate procedural deliberation in the enactment of taxes on trade, benefitting the millions of Americans whose livelihoods depend on international commerce and the certainty that supports investments in our economy. By doing so, Congress can ensure that appropriate stakeholder consultation and a methodical assessment of costs precede any decision to raise taxes on traded goods.
The Chamber urges members of Congress to agree to the proposed tariff-related resolutions and to work across the aisle to enact legislation requiring an up-or-down vote for any new tariffs and for those imposed in the past year.
Sincerely,
Neil L. Bradley
Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer,
and Head of Strategic Advocacy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
