A Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) may finally start moving in the U.S. House of Representatives after the July 4 break, according to a report in World Trade/Interactive, a newsletter published by the law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg P.A.
It is unknown what products the bill will cover, the the MTB Congress allowed to expire in 2009 covered nearly a dozen outdoor sporting goods products, including trail runners, some sleeping bags and many bike products. Congress usually renews the MTB every three years to provide duty relief for hundreds of imports not produce in the United States.
World Trade/Interactive sources say an MTB could be posted soon on the House Ways and Means Committee Web site for public review and is likely to be formally introduced once Congress returns from its Independence Day recess.
Supporters are hoping to bypass a committee vote and move the bill straight to the House floor and to then have the Senate pass the same bill by unanimous consent. Sources expect a number of House Republicans to vote in favor of the MTB despite vowing earlier this year not to vote on any earmark legislation.
