McCaskill, Portman Again Aim to Kill MTB Earmark Opposition with Process Reform Bill
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., introduced the Temporary Duty Suspension Process Act, S-260, on Jan. 27, alongside co-sponsors Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Pat Toomey, R-Pa. The legislation would revamp the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill submission process by directing companies to send tariff suspension requests directly to the International Trade Commission, rather than through lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
McCaskill and Portman introduced, but failed to advance, the legislation in both previous Congresses. Portman recently said the legislation has the potential to remove Republican earmark opposition to the MTB (see 1501210047), while one industry lobbyist speculated the bill may be included in a Trade Promotion Authority package (see 1501270001). “Our bill would streamline and simplify a system few currently understand while providing a clear pathway for the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill to be renewed to provide needed aid to American manufacturers,” said Portman in a statement following the introduction of the bill (here).
The MTB expired more than two years ago, and U.S. industry is scrambling for its renewal (see 1411190032). The day McCaskill and Portman introduced their legislation, dozens of U.S. manufacturers pushed Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to restore the law immediately (here). "The MTB is exactly the type of legislation Congress needs to consider without delay; it cuts costs for America’s job creators and strengthens their competitiveness in a challenging global economy," said the groups, including the American Apparel and Footwear Association and the National Council of Textile Organizations. "Congress’s continued failure to act on the MTB has contributed greatly to manufacturers’ uncertainty and inability to plan for future investment and job creation, resulting in a $748 million tax hike on manufacturers in the United States."