Information Technology Industry Council Asks for Phased Rollback of Section 301

Trade policy in regard to China should prioritize technology issues and establish “benchmarks for a phased rollback of Section 301 tariffs,” the Information Technology Industry Council wrote In a 17-page March 30 letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. “Simultaneously, we encourage you to move swiftly on your hearing commitment to ensure a transparent, predictable, and rapid process for tariff exclusions to alleviate the harm to American workers and consumers.”

They were silent on the effectiveness of Section 301 tariffs against trading partners that have enacted digital services taxes, but thanked USTR for its commitment to investigate the discriminatory nature of DSTs, and asked it “to discourage further proliferation of such measures.” ITI said that the U.S. benefits from deepening its commercial ties with partners in Asia, including Australia, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, and said, “We encourage the Biden Administration’s review and reconsideration of rejoining the existing Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.”

ITI asked the administration to work to revive the World Trade Organization's appellate body and to pressure China to improve its notification of industrial subsidies. “ITI supports the goals of improving the predictability, credibility, timeliness, and effectiveness of the WTO’s dispute settlement system as a means of ensuring its efficacy as a tool to fairly and transparently enforce WTO commitments,” the group wrote.