MIC: One day left to comment against tariffs on powersports products and parts

The Office of the United States Trade Representative extended current China Section 301 tariff exclusions through May 31. Previously, the deadline was set for December 31, 2023. Several powersports products and parts are facing unnecessary taxation after that, according to MIC’s Government Relations Office.

The Motorcycle Industry Council is urging manufacturers and distributors to voice their opposition to the tariffs through a web portal at http://comments.USTR.gov. The deadline is 11:59 pm Eastern on February 21 to submit written public comments.

In addition to submitting comments to the USTR, the MIC Government Relations Office is asking that powersports companies send copies to the staff at MICGR@MIC.org.

“Sending us copies of your comments helps further hone the associations’ input to USTR,” comments Scott Schloegel, senior vice president at the MIC GRO. “We will mosaic the specific concerns in your comments with others that we receive, which will help us provide a complete picture of our membership’s concerns as we advocate on behalf of MIC members and the powersports industry.”

For the past five years, the MIC, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association have been partners in Americans for Free Trade, and the industry association’s Government Relations Office has participated in hundreds of Capitol Hill meetings advocating for an end to Trump-era taxes that have been continued by the Biden administration.

“In the last five years, American importers, including members of our coalition, have paid more than $198 billion in Section 301 tariffs on products imported from China,” the AFT stated in a December 20 letter to the chairmen of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. “The cost of the tariffs has been borne almost entirely by U.S. businesses and consumers, and their continued imposition harms U.S. competitiveness and contributes to persistent inflation in our economy. At the same time, these harmful taxes have failed to change China’s use of unfair trade practices relating to intellectual property rights, forced technology transfers, and innovation.”