| Arlington, VA July 24, 2018 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Matthew McKinney (703) 527-6223 x3074 mmckinney@acd-chem.com |
On July 23, the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) submitted comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) recommending that the agency remove a number of product categories from proposed Section 301 tariffs on goods imported from China.
In the comments, NACD Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Jennifer Gibson stated, “NACD is concerned with the impact the escalation of trade tensions with China could have upon U.S. chemical distributors and U.S. importers overall. Many of our member companies import chemicals from other countries and use significant resources to source products from China, often with longstanding suppliers.”
Gibson continued, “There is a significant concern among the industry that these tariffs could ultimately put several of our member companies out of business. NACD strongly recommends that USTR consider removing the HTS codes listed [in NACD’s comments].”
Regarding the proposed tariffs, NACD President Eric R. Byer said, “Placing a 25 percent tariff on dozens of products NACD members import regularly from China will have a significant and negative impact on their ability to maintain growth and provide high-paying jobs. Our analysis shows that more than 530 chemical distribution jobs could be lost if tariffs on these goods are implemented. We urge the USTR to rethink their approach and remove the 44 chemical product codes NACD members import from China from their list of goods targeted for tariffs.”
Additionally, NACD members Kate Cummiskey, safety and compliance manager at Cellmark USA, LLC, and Mark Maroon, chief technology officer at Maroon Group LLC, will testify this week on behalf of their respective companies before the USTR. In their testimony, Cummiskey and Maroon will express their concerns and highlight the potential impact the proposed tariffs on approximately $16 billion worth of Chinese products will have on their businesses.
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