WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Sander M. Levin (D-MI) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), today jointly announced the introduction of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill of 2009.
“This miscellaneous tariff bill is the outcome of a rigorous, thorough vetting process, which included review by the independent International Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce and other agencies within the Administration. The Committee also inaugurated new procedures to make more transparent who benefits from the provisions of this bill, and to make information about each provision easily and fully available to the public for review and comment," said Levin. “The vast majority of products obtaining duty relief under the bill are inputs or components for goods that are being manufactured here in the United States, thereby enhancing U.S. manufacturers’ competitiveness in the global marketplace. By introducing the bill today, there is additional time for the public to study its provisions before House consideration."
“This bipartisan and thoroughly vetted bill creates opportunities for U.S. manufacturers and their employees to reduce their costs without any adverse effect on any other U.S. interest," said Brady. “I look forward to working with the Senate so that we can enact this legislation as quickly as possible."
The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) of 2009 temporarily suspends or reduces for three years duties on over 600 products, most of which are inputs or components to products manufactured here in the United States. Duty-free entry of these inputs reduces U.S. manufacturers’ costs, and thereby can promote their competiveness. Many of the provisions in the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill of 2009 renew existing duty suspensions or reductions, which expire on Dec. 31, 2009. Information concerning each provision included in the bill can be found on the Committee’s website: here.
BACKGROUND
The Committee on Ways and Means has jurisdiction over legislation to amend the U.S. tariff schedule.
To be included in the MTB, a tariff modification proposal (e.g., for duty suspension or reduction) must: (1) raise no objections (e.g., there must be no domestic production or objection by domestic producers); (2) receive a score from the Congressional Budget Office under $500,000 per year; and (3) be administrable by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Each tariff modification proposal has been subject to an extensive vetting process. Specifically, each individual proposal is subject to: (1) a request for public comment by the Committee; (2) an extensive review by the Administration (Commerce, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and other agencies); and (3) a review by the independent U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).
As part of this process, the Ways and Means Committee also adopted new procedures in the 110th Congress, in accordance with amended House rules, to enhance transparency. Specifically, Members of Congress seeking the inclusion of a proposal in the MTB must: (1) identify “anticipated beneficiaries" of the proposal, if there are 10 or fewer beneficiaries; and (2) certify that the Member and his/her spouse, if applicable, have no financial interest in the benefit.
The Ways and Means Committee has further improved transparency by providing on the Committee’s website all publicly available information on the MTB, including information collected from the Member disclosures. The following is the link to the webpage: here. The information on the website is easily searchable. As noted by the Sunlight Foundation,
[T]he Subcommittee on Trade deserves plaudits for putting this information in one place, downloadable, with all the documentation one needs to use it…It really is transparency done right-combining congressional, executive branch and lobbying information in one spot.
The bill’s total cost is $300 million over the 2010-2014 period. There would be no effects beyond the first five years. This cost is paid for by extending Customs User fees.
