MEMA to Testify on Section 301 Tariffs Imposed by Trump Administration

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed a 25 percent tariff on a wide variety of products imported from China, including certain motor parts and equipment as part of the Section 301 action to remedy intellectual property (IP) theft. MEMA, on behalf of its four divisions, will testify at the upcoming May 15 public hearing before the USTR and will submit written comments on the issue on May 11, 2018.

In its formal request to testify, MEMA highlighted that IP theft protections are critical but raises concerns about the use of tariffs to remedy the issue.

“Though we support the administration’s efforts to protect intellectual property laws and eliminate China’s restrictive and discriminatory licensing requirements, tariffs on motor parts and equipment manufacturers will be ineffective in obtaining these goals. To the contrary, such prohibitively high tariffs on these products will disproportionately harm U.S. businesses, including the motor parts and equipment manufacturers we represent,” the letter said.

This is just one of many leadership initiatives MEMA has taken recently on important trade issues. From testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee to submitting detailed comments and responses and meeting directly with the Trump administration, MEMA has been the prominent voice and face of the motor vehicle parts supplier industry in Washington, DC.

For more details visit the MEMA Trade Resource Page.