Page 16 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
P. 16
c. tODAY national security.” This is patently ridiculous in the
case of Canada, a NATO ally and NORAD partner
13 AmCham South China that is recognized in U.S. law to be an integral part
of the U.S. defense industrial base years ago.
Administration officials stated repeatedly –
including in testimony before Congress – that the
tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada
and Mexico would be lifted when a new North
American trade agreement was concluded. The new
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
was signed on November 30. Yet the tariffs remain
in place.
Also caught in the crossfire are U.S. farmers,
ranchers, and manufacturers hit with Canada’s and
Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs. More than $15 billion
of U.S. exports of products ranging from cheese
and pork to furniture and recreational boats have
suffered as a result. Every state has been affected.
There’s nearly universal opposition to the tariffs
on Canada and Mexico. Congressional trade leaders
such as Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Chuck Grassley and House Ways and Means
Ranking Member Kevin Brady have called for the
tariffs’ end. U.S. industry and agriculture groups
have pushed hard for a quick solution.
Even the United Steelworkers (USW) have
demanded the tariffs on Canada be ended: “Canada
is an essential security ally and manufacturing
partner, with metal forged in both countries
crossing the border repeatedly for finishing into
products ranging from cans to car engines,” said
USW International President Leo W. Gerard.
“Canada should never have been included in the
Section 232 tariffs, and the administration must
immediately honor its pledge to end charging the
penalties on Canadian steel and aluminum.”
It’s time to recognize that the Section 232 tariffs
have missed their intended target of Chinese
overcapacity and instead hit innocent bystanders
in Canada and Mexico as well as U.S. workers,
farmers, and ranchers. It’s time to stop the
damage now.■
Article by John G. Murphy, Senior Vice President for
International Policy, US Chamber of Commerce
case of Canada, a NATO ally and NORAD partner
13 AmCham South China that is recognized in U.S. law to be an integral part
of the U.S. defense industrial base years ago.
Administration officials stated repeatedly –
including in testimony before Congress – that the
tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada
and Mexico would be lifted when a new North
American trade agreement was concluded. The new
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
was signed on November 30. Yet the tariffs remain
in place.
Also caught in the crossfire are U.S. farmers,
ranchers, and manufacturers hit with Canada’s and
Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs. More than $15 billion
of U.S. exports of products ranging from cheese
and pork to furniture and recreational boats have
suffered as a result. Every state has been affected.
There’s nearly universal opposition to the tariffs
on Canada and Mexico. Congressional trade leaders
such as Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Chuck Grassley and House Ways and Means
Ranking Member Kevin Brady have called for the
tariffs’ end. U.S. industry and agriculture groups
have pushed hard for a quick solution.
Even the United Steelworkers (USW) have
demanded the tariffs on Canada be ended: “Canada
is an essential security ally and manufacturing
partner, with metal forged in both countries
crossing the border repeatedly for finishing into
products ranging from cans to car engines,” said
USW International President Leo W. Gerard.
“Canada should never have been included in the
Section 232 tariffs, and the administration must
immediately honor its pledge to end charging the
penalties on Canadian steel and aluminum.”
It’s time to recognize that the Section 232 tariffs
have missed their intended target of Chinese
overcapacity and instead hit innocent bystanders
in Canada and Mexico as well as U.S. workers,
farmers, and ranchers. It’s time to stop the
damage now.■
Article by John G. Murphy, Senior Vice President for
International Policy, US Chamber of Commerce
