Senate Passage of Kigali Amendment to Viewed as Helping US Exporters
The Senate on Sept. 22 voted to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the international Montreal Protocol, which lawmakers say will not only slow climate change but help U.S. exporters. The amendment calls on countries to reduce the production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that stem from air conditioning and refrigeration appliances, which damage the environment.
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.
It also will help U.S. companies “dominate the export markets” for new technologies involving refrigerators and air conditioners, said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., earlier this week. The amendment will “ensure U.S. leadership in exports into the future” of items used in cooling units that don’t produce HFCs, Menendez said. “American businesses are clear: It is time to phase-down antiquated chemicals known as HFCs, which American manufacturers want to leave behind,” he said before the amendment’s passage. “It is time to usher in a new era in which their modern products are purchased all over the world.”
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the amendment will “ensure we maintain a competitive edge on the global market,” noting 137 other countries have already ratified the amendment. The State Department said the measure will “be an asset for innovative American companies that have developed alternatives to HFCs and will help them export U.S. technology to overseas markets.”