Washington, D.C. – Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark A. Morgan on Tuesday urging him to resist calls to defer or avoid duty payments on imports from China.
The importers seeking tariff relief are shamefully trying to capitalize on an unprecedented public health crisis to benefit their bottom line. Undercutting domestic manufacturers and American factory workers with a torrent of Chinese imports is hardly a solution.
Paul writes:
“This couldn’t occur at a worse time for American manufacturing and its workers who are struggling to survive in this sharp economic downturn. Allowing imports to come in without the present payment of duties gives them a price advantage. Ninety days may very well signal the demise of a company struggling to compete, even if those tariffs are paid at a later date. It’s equivalent to a government sanctioned fire sale for imports to undermine American producers and their workers.”
The U.S. Trade Representative has a process in place to deal with emergency requests that have direct bearing on the nation’s ability to respond to the coronavirus, Paul notes. It would be a mistake to create unwarranted conditions that allow importers to game the system while suing the health crisis as a cover for predatory behavior and stockpiling.