David G Reichert : Reichert, House Unanimously Pass Miscellaneous Tariff Bill

Washington, DC - As Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, Representative Dave Reichert (R-WA) has championed the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act (H.R. 4318) with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), and several of their colleagues. Today, the House passed this legislation with broad bipartisan support.

'I am proud to join with my colleagues to support American workers and help American manufacturers of all sizes reduce costs, create jobs, and compete globally,' Chairman Reichert said. 'Today's strong bipartisan vote has been years in the making. I remained committed to this effort because of the benefits it will bring to communities across the country. For businesses in my home state of Washington, the MTB will provide nearly $16 million in cost savings, which they can instead use to invest in their employees and their products. Through the MTB, along with the tax plan that Congress passed late last year, I am working to provide American workers and businesses a chance to succeed globally, earn and provide better wages, and grow their businesses.'

'I would like to thank the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) for its tremendous effort and dedication in successfully bringing the new MTB process to life. I would also like to thank the Commerce Department and Customs and Border Protection for their invaluable work.'

Rep. Reichert has been a leader on this issue for many years. Earlier this Congress, he held a hearing in the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee on the issue entitled, 'Miscellaneous Tariff Bill: Providing Relief to U.S. Manufacturers Through the New MTB Process.'

In 2016, Congress passed the bipartisan American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act (AMCA)that established an open and transparent process for consideration of the MTB. Over the past year, American businesses have been able to petition the International Trade Commission (ITC) for tariff relief on their products, so long as it met the requirements outlined in the AMCA. Based on the petition requests and recommendations from the ITC, this legislation provides tariff relief on products for hundreds of businesses across the country.

In December 2017, more than 190 businesses and organizations sent a letter to Congress urging swift passage of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act. Since the last MTB expired in 2012, American companies have faced an annual $748 million tax hike on manufacturing in the United States. This has resulted in a $1.8 billion loss to the U.S. economy.