WASHINGTON – Bicycle importers say they already can't match the prices of China with U.S. manufacturers. A business that brings cheese in from Europe says a new tariff will "cause lasting damage." And a company that imports Cambodian sleeping bags for infants argues that added tariffs will have a "terminal" effect.
President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs that each of the businesses felt could be the death knell for their companies, until the Supreme Court overturned Trump's emergency duties in February. Now those fears are rising again.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's sweeping decision, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is investigating whether new tariffs are needed under the 1974 Trade Act. The goal is to combat unfair trade practices that burden or restrict U.S. companies.
But not everyone is opposed. U.S. manufacturers of ceramics, medical supplies and clothing, for instance, support the idea of new tariffs to counter what they see as unfair trade practices in China, India and elsewhere.
The deadline for public comments is April 15, and nearly 300 poured in ahead of time. Hearings about accusations of forced labor are scheduled to start April 28; another hearing about allegations that other countries have excess manufacturing to send exports aboard are set to begin May 5.
