Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) applauded the introduction of the miscellaneous tariff bill (H.R. 2708) in the United States House of Representatives this week. Dubbed the U.S. Job Creation and Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2013, the bill suspends import tariffs on products that have no domestic manufacturing.
The legislation aims to lower the cost of manufacturing and some finished products not made or available here in the United States by suspending duties on imported components and products.
An MTB bill is normally taken up every two years by each session of Congress. The bill is actually an amalgam of hundreds of bills submitted by individual lawmakers at the request of a specific company or constituent. The current bill includes nearly 2,000 MTBs submitted by 170 members of Congress.
OIA reports that two MTB bills since 2006 have saved outdoor industry companies more than $30 million, allowing investments in U.S jobs, American innovation and lower retail prices for consumers. Historically, OIA has submitted bills on the behalf of members who make footwear and apparel.
“The MTB is an extremely important bill for the outdoor industry and has saved millions of dollars for our members,” said Kirk Bailey, vice president of government affairs for OIA. “Without the MTB, outdoor manufacturers could be penalized with as much as a 38 percent cost increase, despite the fact that there is no viable domestic manufacturing. Worse, such cost hikes would have a detrimental impact on retail sales. We look forward to working with members of the U.S House of Representatives to get this legislation passed as soon as possible.”
To ensure the highest degree of transparency, each individual bill submited through the MTB process is reviewed by the Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, the independent International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce, which spearheads the review of the submitted bills for the Administration. To gain approval, an MTB request can not injure a U.S. manufacturer, cost the U.S. Treasury more than $500,000 per year in lost revenue and be administrable. The Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee also solicited public comments on the submitted bills and, to ensure transparency, posted the comments on the website of each committee.
OIA works closely with its members to ensure the MTB will not harm U.S manufacturing while achieving maximum economic benefits for those outdoor companies that make products that are eligible for tariff suspensions under the legislation. Outdoor industry businesses that are interested in learning more about how the MTB can benefit their business should contact OIA government affairs staff at gov@outdoorindustry.org.
