WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Americans for Free Trade, a coalition of more than 150 associations from every sector of the economy that are united in the fight against tariffs, sent a letter to President Trump and strongly encouraged the Administration to suspend implementation of the Tranche 4B tariffs set to take effect on December 15th if a Phase One deal is not finalized before then.
“We think it is incredibly important for the ongoing negotiations to be allowed to continue without the specter of new tariffs taking effect before a deal is signed,” the Americans for Free Trade coalition wrote. “As you noted when the Tranche 4B tariffs were announced, you delayed implementation of those tariffs specifically to avoid harming American consumers over the holidays. This delay should be extended until a deal is reached.”
The coalition also called for the elimination of existing tariffs as part of the Phase One deal. Since the trade war began, Americans have paid an additional $42 billion in tariffs, according to Tariffs Hurt the Heartland. In addition, American businesses and farmers have faced $12 billion in retaliatory tariffs.
“Further, we strongly support using the Phase One deal to include reciprocal elimination of existing tariffs, as has been reported in the press,” the Americans for Free Trade coalition wrote. “Such an action would send an important economic signal while providing immediate relief to job creators throughout the U.S.”
A copy of the letter can be found here.