Lowering barriers to AZ small businesses importing needed goods to increase manufacturing, boost jobs
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema urged the U.S. Trade Representative to allow more Arizona businesses to apply for tariff relief under existing tariffs on imports from China.
“Thoughtfully expanding tariff relief for Arizona small businesses will help return manufacturing to the United States, supporting more Arizona jobs, lowering prices, and boosting economic growth,” said Sinema, a member of the Senate Commerce and Banking Committees.
In October 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative announced a modified exclusion process for the strict Section 301 tariffs on imports from China, which were imposed in response to China’s policies and practices related to technology transfer and intellectual property were unreasonable and restricted U.S. commerce. This 2020 Section 301 exclusion process was narrow, with final approval of 10% of requests, and currently the appeal process for Section 301 exclusions is now closed.
The current modified exclusion process does not provide U.S. firms with the necessary opportunity to seek financial relief from Section 301 tariffs. In her bipartisan letter, Sinema urged a new, comprehensive exclusion process that would give Arizona businesses—particularly small businesses—a greater chance of effective, conscious tariff relief.
Sinema partnered with Republican Senator Rob Portman (Ohio) to introduce the Trade Security Act—bipartisan legislation that makes common sense reforms to ensure that any tariffs implemented in the interest of national security are justified by the Department of Defense and overseen by Congress.
Click HERE to read Sinema’s letter.