More Than 150 House Members Urge USTR to Lift Tariffs on EU Food, Beverages
More than 150 House members, across the ideological spectrum and both parties, sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, urging him to remove 25% duties on all European beverages and food, but to not lower the total value of duties as he adjusts the target. In the current Airbus retaliation tariff list, aircraft is the first by value, at 39%; whiskeys and liqueurs second, at 21%, and wine third, at 17%.
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The letter, sent July 29, was led by Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., and Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, and had 164 signatories, including House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
The members said they wanted the food and drinks removed because of how restaurants, distributors and small and medium-sized retailers are suffering due to the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For instance, many restaurants across the United States have closed their doors or are operating with limited seating capacity due to government mandates. In this environment, these businesses have minimal flexibility to raise prices. Additional duties on imported wine, spirits, and food products like fruit, pork, and olive oil cut into their already tight profit margins, further threatening the survival of these industries and the many jobs they support,” they wrote.
“We are disappointed that the EU continues to refuse to remove its illegal subsidies, and we encourage you to continue seeking a suitable outcome with the EU that will eliminate these subsidies and resolve this longstanding trade dispute,” they said.