WASHINGTON, D.C., (March 3, 2021) — Today, Americans for Free Trade spokesperson Jonathan Gold released the following statement ahead of Katherine Tai’s USTR confirmation vote in the Senate Finance Committee, calling for the immediate review and reinstatement of Section 301 product exclusions.
“Americans for Free Trade looks forward to working with Ambassador-Designate Tai to use every tool possible to help American businesses, manufacturers, and farmers who have been suffering from the tariffs and trade war with China. To achieve that goal, we urge Ambassador-Designate Tai to immediately conduct a full review of and reinstate the Section 301 product exclusions upon being confirmed. It is critical that the product exclusion process be administered in a fair and transparent manner, yet the process that expired last year was deeply flawed and created significant burdens for companies seeking exclusions. Section 301 exclusions provide critical economic benefits, particularly amid the current economic downturn, and must be reinstated immediately. American businesses cannot afford to wait any longer for action to be taken, and we urge Ambassador-Designate Tai to embrace President Biden’s “Build Back Better” strategy by acting swiftly to help relieve the economic hardship so many American businesses are facing.”