ITC Sends Final MTB Report to Congress; Legislation Timing Undecided
The International Trade Commission sent its final report on miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) petitions to Congress on Aug. 8, the ITC said. In the report sent to the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees, the ITC classified 1,825 petitions as meeting MTB statutory requirements with or without modification, 54 petitions as not containing information required by the statute or that weren’t filed by a likely beneficiary, and 645 petitions as not recommended for inclusion in an MTB. The largest product categories were chemicals, accounting for 1,464 petitions; machinery and equipment, accounting for 457 petitions; and textiles, apparel and footwear, accounting for 456 petitions, the ITC said.
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The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act (AMCA) of 2016 includes a “sense of Congress” that lawmakers will consider an MTB no later than 90 days after the ITC-submitted final report recommending MTB duty suspensions and reductions, meaning Congress is now expected to consider MTB legislation Nov. 6 or sooner. Trade lobbyists in June were hopeful that Congress would consider packaged MTB and Generalized System of Preferences renewal legislation in November or December (see 1706200050).
Ways and Means and Finance spokeswomen didn't offer details on when the committees might consider the legislation. "Nothing to announce today on timing. Members are reviewing the report," a Ways and Means spokeswoman said in an email. "Members will use the ITC report as the foundation for the MTB legislation." A Finance spokeswoman said committee staff and members are "talking through" how to advance MTB legislation.