Please complete the information below to be added onto the Americans for Free Trade Coalition letter to President Trump.  Please fill out the information exactly as you would like to be listed.  Submissions are due by 3:00 PM ET April 27, 2020. Please contact Jonathan Gold with any questions.

Letter to President Trump

April 27, 2020

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Trump,

Thank you for your ongoing leadership to address the unprecedented economic challenges created by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Your leadership has included measures that have helped many businesses delay payments like income and payroll taxes to increase liquidity. The announcement earlier this week to delay certain duties was another welcome step to help American companies stabilize their finances and buy time.

While this program will certainly benefit some U.S. companies, it will not benefit many others because certain important duties have been excluded and because it only covers imports made during the first half of March and April. While we understand the need to keep strong U.S. trade policies front and center, merely delaying the payment of these additional duties will not harm trade policy. The duties will still be paid, just at a later date.

It is with this in mind that we make two urgent recommendations. First, we ask that you extend the program to cover imports made during May and June. Second, we urge that the program be expanded to defer the due dates for all duties and fees.

Combined, these two actions would immediately free up billions of dollars of working capital for American companies — like those listed below — to pay suppliers, employees, service providers and other critical stakeholders. This cash is even more important for companies that have had to close their doors because of stay-at-home orders, leaving them with little to no revenue to make ends meet.

Companies facing urgent liquidity issues need their duty payments deferred in order to succeed when the economy reopens. Deferring these duties will help further ensure the success of your Great American Economic Revival effort by giving companies the additional cash they need to stay open, preserve U.S. jobs and reopen their doors from a position of strength.

With future Congressional action uncertain, the American economy depends on your leadership and swift action. Your leadership alone can provide immediate relief to companies large and small from all sectors of the economy including manufacturers, retailers and other service providers, farmers and ranchers.

Sincerely,

CC: Secretary Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Department of Treasury
Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative
Director Larry Kudlow, United States National Economic Council
Members of Congress