Makers of certain types of waterproof, breathable outdoor footwear were warned to brace for a huge increase in duties last week after it appeared an agreement to pass a miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) through Congress collapsed.
In its third alert in two weeks, the Outdoor Industry Association said Thursday that it appeared due to multiple problems, Congress is not likely to pass a miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) before adjourning for the end-of-year holiday recess. The bill is used to grant or extend duty relief on hundreds of imported items deemed by the government not to compete with domestic products.
In an e-mail alert, Alexander Boian, OIA's director of trade policy, said that should Congress adjourn without passing an MTB, all duty suspensions will expire on Dec. 31st and full duties will go back in to place on Jan. 1, 2010. While there is a possibility that an MTB could be completed this year, it now appears more likely that Congress will address the MTB early next year. As of Friday, the timing and scope of a package remained unclear.
