NCBFAA in comments submitted today, May 19, to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) expressed serious concerns that imposing 20 percent to 100 percent additional duties on certain cargo-handling equipment from China will “result in far-reaching and unintended consequences for U.S. industry stakeholders.”
The association said, “the proposed tariffs on certain cargo handling equipment may further strain U.S. supply chains, undercut the competitiveness of U.S. ports and exporters, thwart supply chain resiliency efforts, and harm the domestic maritime workforce,” adding that there is “currently inadequate manufacturing capacity for this specialized equipment and tariffs may further complicate efforts to source spare parts and components to ensure the equipment is functional and safe to utilize.”
While NCBFAA “recognizes USTR’s diligent efforts in investigating unfair trade practices in the maritime sector and applauds the Agency for protecting U.S. shipping interests and dominance in ocean shipping,” it has asked USTR to consider the consequences of the proposed tariffs and minimize the harm that they could cause in the agency’s final action.
The full NCBFAA comments are available here. The NCBFAA Transportation Committee and Counsel of Venable LLP