WASHINGTON DC (March 25, 2020) — A group of Senate Finance Committee Republicans, led by Chairman Charles "Chuck" Grassley (R-IA), are urging the Trump administration to consider utilizing trade policy-measures to reduce the economic strain imposed on Americans by the COVID-19 public health crisis.
“We believe you should continue to focus on creating new market-access opportunities for American exporters while considering additional short and long-term measures to restore confidence in the global economy,” the senators wrote.
In a letter to President Donald J Trump, the senators highlighted several possible trade measures that could be taken by the administration to decrease or limit the harms resulting from COVID-19. Those measures include coordinating with other countries to prevent the proliferation of harmful export-restrictions, pausing consideration of reported "Buy American" requirements to prevent paralyzing critical supply-chains, section 301 tariff-relief on health, safety and medical devices and products, temporary deferrals of duty-collection to boost liquidity for businesses, expansions of section 301 tariff-relief, and extensions of exclusions already granted and consideration of a total moratorium on new or increased tariffs while urging our trading partners to do the same.
The letter to President Trump was signed by Sen Grassley along with Sens Mike Crapo (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Mike Enzi (R-WY), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Thune (R-SD), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Tim Scott (R-SC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Todd Young (R-IN), and Ben Sasse (R-NE).
Full text of the letter to President Trump follows or can be found HERE.
