 |
| CLICK HERE TO VIEW CURRENT ISSUE |
|
 |
|
BILL PASSED BY HOUSE REDUCING TARIFFS ON CROP PROTECTION INGREDIENTS, LOWERS COSTS SUBSTANTIALLY
Jan. 19, 2018
CropLife America (CLA) reports:
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously (and finally) passed the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) Act of 2018 (H.R. 4318).
The House's action is a significant accomplishment, sending a strong signal to the Senate on the urgency to pass the bill. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President, savings for our industry will be substantial from the elimination or reduction of tariffs on imports of raw materials and intermediates necessary to produce crop protection products.
Cindy Smith (Gowan Company) adds "To me, this has been a rare example of bipartisan support for an action that helps American producers achieve success and a level playing field with their counterparts around the world. There was no opposition in the House (402-0). I'm not sure when the last time a bill was passed this way, but it must have been a while ago.
"The key to getting total support was an independent evaluation process conducted by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), which helped remove the earmark concern. No longer were companies lobbying for the interest of their specific chemical. Instead, companies submitted their requests (forms, justification, etc.), and they were independently reviewed and validated by the USITC.
"Following the validation, the requests were recommended for approval in the MTB. Many CLA member companies, with direct CLA support, have been working on this process since the last tariff bills were passed several years ago. On Oct. 25, 2017, Gowan Company, Lasko Products and W.L. Gore Associates testified together before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, to the importance of passing an MTB soon.
"Now, the next step is to find a path forward in the Senate."
|
|
|
|
|
