Request for Written Comments on Miscellaneous Tariff and Duty Suspension Bills and Deadlines for Limited Tariff Benefit Disclosures

BACKGROUND:

The Committee on Ways and Means has jurisdiction over legislation to amend the U.S. tariff schedule and to make corrections to trade legislation.  The primary purpose of the bill is to help U.S. manufacturers compete at home and abroad by temporarily suspending or reducing duties on intermediate products or materials that are not made domestically, or where there is no domestic opposition.  Such reductions or suspensions reduce the costs for U.S. businesses and ultimately increase the competitiveness of their products.  The process will look carefully for domestic production and opposition to proposed modifications to the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

On November 1, 2007, Chairman Levin and Ranking Member Herger requested that all Members who planned to introduce tariff legislation or miscellaneous corrections to the trade laws do so by December 14, 2007.  Chairman Levin and Ranking Member Herger are now requesting public comment on those bills listed below and are requesting budget scoring estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.  The deadline for the public to submit written comments to the Committee is Thursday, April 10, 2008.  After the comment period, the Subcommittee will review all comments and determine which bills should be included in a miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) package.  The Subcommittee will consider the extent to which the bills create a revenue loss, operate retroactively, attract controversy, or are not administrable.

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