United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has published his list of proposed tariffs pursuant to the federal government's Section 301 investigation of China’s trade practices. The notice also includes information about the upcoming committee hearing regarding the proposed tariffs in Washington, D.C., on May 15.

This latest round of tariffs is part of a federal government effort to address the concerns of many in the business community regarding a variety of China’s trade policies, such as market access barriers and technology transfer mandates. However, numerous members of the business community have expressed opposition to the federal government’s proposed response.

PPAI has joined with 44 other trade associations that represent a wide-ranging coalition of the American business community to inform the federal government about the dangers of imposing tariffs on items that are legitimately produced and traded. Imposing tariffs would likely result in higher prices for U.S. consumers and businesses while failing to adequately address the problems associated with China's trade policies. Two days after the publication of the list, the President announced that he instructed the U.S. Trade Representative to consider whether another $100 billion in tariffs is an appropriate response to China’s retaliation over the proposed Section 301 tariffs.

PPAI encourages industry professionals to participate in the public commenting period and inform the White House of how harmful these tariffs would be to the promotional products industry. Instructions for submitting written comments and participating in the hearing are included here. Along with numerous coalition partners, PPAI is participating in a legislative fly-in this week that will address the tariff issue. PPAI has also prepared an action alert for members to contact their elected officials regarding the latest tariffs.