Trade Letter: Tariffs Have Caused ‘Significant Harm to Manufacturers’

Thirty-three organizations, most of them related to manufacturing, signed on a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer yesterday, asking for the lifting of Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel, specifically on imports from Canada and Mexico. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allows tariffs on goods as a matter of national security. Here is the text of the letter: The undersigned organizations represent a broad array of U.S. manufacturers, retailers, technology companies, farmers and agribusinesses, and other supply chain stakeholders.  We are writing to express our strong recommendation that the Section 232 tariffs, which have been in place with respect to steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico since June 1, 2018, be removed. These tariffs, which significantly affect our relationships with our most important trading partners, should be removed for a number of reasons: First, the recent conclusion of the negotiations for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), provides a chance for all sectors of the U.S. economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, services and technology, to benefit from continued regional economic integration, higher North American standards and enhanced regulatory cooperation. Tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum are entirely inconsistent with the overall goals of the USMCA.

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