Brady Says Frustration Growing With Lack of Section 301 Exclusion Action at USTR

Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, told reporters during a press conference June 24 that there's strong bipartisan support for bringing back expired Section 301 exclusions, and refunding the tariffs paid since they expired.

While the trade amendment in the Senate that passed as part of the China package asked the administration to either bring them back or explain to Congress why it won't, the bill that Brady and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla, introduced this week only addresses the renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program and the Miscellaneous Tariff bill, not the exclusion process. In a roundtable the men hosted June 23, a TV assembly plant executive said that the end of the company's exclusion was costing it more than the expiration of MTB (see 2106230027).

When asked by International Trade Today what Congress might do to advance the goal of restoring the exclusions, Brady said, "Whether it’s done by legislation or the administration acts on it -- which I hope they will do -- it needs to be done." The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is the lead on the exclusions process.