On December 15, the Chamber sent a letter to all Members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to support H.R. 6517, the "Omnibus Trade Act of 2010," which would enact pending miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) provisions, and extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), both of which will expire December 31. It would also extend the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009, known as Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). Later that evening, the House passed the bill by a voice vote. The Chamber sent a similar letter to the Senate the following day.
As the Chamber's letter points out, "Tens of thousands of American workers and hundreds of American companies depend on the MTB for relief from tariffs that serve only to raise costs for U.S. manufacturers and other U.S. businesses... GSP provides duty-free treatment to selected goods imported from more than 130 developing countries. Approximately three-quarters of U.S. imports using GSP are raw materials, components, or equipment used by U.S. companies to manufacture goods in the United States for domestic consumption or for export... Similarly, ATPA has a proven record generating trade, growth, and jobs." The letter also noted the Chamber's significant concerns about Ecuador's lack of respect for the rule of law. The Chamber is following the Senate action closely and is communicating with a number of Senate offices in an effort to secure approval before the conclusion of the 111th Congress.
