As you know trailers and trailer parts classified under HTSUS 8716.39.00, 8716.90.50, 8708.70.45, and 8708.30.50 from the list of proposed products subject to the 25 percent tariff could affect your business and in the end, affect the consumer as well?
Warren Auwae’s testified at the International Trade Commission in Washington DC that might give you a better understanding of the effect these Tariffs could bring.
“My name is Warren Auwae. I’m the president and General Manager of Central California Truck and Trailer Sales, LLC. We are the largest commercial trailer dealer in California by geography. We have six locations that span from Sacramento in North to San Diego in the South. I’m here today to represent our 30 employees as well as ten suppliers/vendors. That employee over 350 plus US workers.
I’m here to urge the administration to remove trailers and trailer parts classified under HTSUS 8716.39.00, 8716.90.50, 8708.70.45, and 8708.30.50 from the list of proposed products subject to the 25 percent tariff. If these tariffs are put into place it will result in an immediate 15-20% drop in sales. In addition, 10-15% of our workforce will be impacted by layoffs or decrease hours.
Our trailers are built in America at three plants located throughout the United States. We use some parts and components sourced from China to do this. All of the products that are sourced from China can’t be sourced locally. Thus, these tariffs would cause irreversible damage to our supply chain.
The transportation industry is the tip of the spear of commerce in the United States. Any change to efficiency or productivity of this industry will have devastating effects on our economy. We are currently in a transportation equipment shortage. These tariffs would only serve to exasperate this problem.
In closing, I urge the administration to remove these import codes from the list of potential tariff’s. We understand the reasoning behind the tariffs. However, we know that tariffs on the transportation industry will only cause higher prices for consumers as well as impede GDP growth”
???? How Can Your Voice Be Heard? ????
If you would like to submit comments about the negative impact of the tariffs on your business, you can do so online by September 6, 2018, at the following link: https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=USTR-2018-0026-0001. Please be sure to identify the HTSUS codes that are affected (listed in the Federal Register Notice).
( HTSUS 8716.39.00, 8716.90.50, 8708.70.45, and 8708.30.50 )
