The US Department of Commerce (DOC) will hold a public hearing Thursday in Washington, D.C. in the course of its investigation of automotive imports as a threat to national security.
The DOC offered the public the opportunity to comment ahead of the hearing, resulting in over 2,000 submissions from industry leaders, government officials, and consumers so far, with most comments urging the Trump administration to abandon the proposed tariffs against imports of autos and auto parts.
A news report from Bloomberg Wednesday gathered up several responses.
From the Auto Alliance: “We understand the Administration’s desire for a “level playing field” when it comes to international trade. However, imposing 25 per cent tariffs on imported autos and auto parts will actually hurt consumers and our member companies’ ability to invest in the US and compete in the global market… It may seem attractive in this instance to pursue economic goals under the umbrella of national security considerations; however, doing so could very well set a dangerous precedent that other nations could use to protect their local market from foreign competition.”
From the Certified Automotive Parts Association: “We urge the Department of Commerce to look for ways to open global markets and increase exports. Increasing the price of automotive parts and causing delays will cause harm to most Americans. A vibrant US economy depends on the timely accessibility of automobile repair parts manufactured in both the United States, and globally, which is critical to the national economy.”
From the National Association of Manufacturers: “While it is important for the US government to work effectively to improve opportunities overseas and address foreign government market distortions that hold back greater growth in manufacturing generally and the automotive sector specifically, those are commercial issues. The unilateral imposition of tariffs or quotas that a Section 232 investigation could authorize would undermine this sector and broader manufacturing production and jobs in the United States.