House Members Ask for Tariff Negotiations in IPEF
A dozen members of the House of Representatives are asking U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to change the administration's strategy on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework to move it closer to a traditional trade agreement, including asking partners to lower tariffs for U.S. exports (see 2204120058). The April 12 letter, led by Reps. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and Carol Miller, R-W.Va., also was signed by the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.
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"America’s limited participation in agreements or frameworks involving Indo-Pacific nations means that the next generation of commercial rules and standards governing trade with Asia are increasingly being written without American input. Second, American-made goods and services are at a competitive disadvantage because tariffs on U.S. exports to the Indo-Pacific are relatively higher than tariffs on our competitors’ exports to the region," the letter said.
"As you and [Commerce] Secretary [Gina] Raimondo work with like-minded trade partners on items of shared interest in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, it is critically important that you protect the competitiveness of American products in this region by ensuring that these trends are reversed. To this end, we urge you to work to secure enhanced market access for American exporters in [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] ASEAN Member States."