Letters to the Hill Banner

THE VOICE OF THE MERIT SHOP

ABC is the voice of the merit shop on Capitol Hill! Sending letters to Congress allows ABC to publicly advocate for the views and interests of our more than 23,000 members. By corresponding with U.S. House of Representatives and Senate members, ABC promotes fair and open competition in the construction industry and fights to protect merit shop contractors around the country.

Letters to the Hill

rss

THE VOICE OF THE MERIT SHOP

ABC is the voice of the merit shop on Capitol Hill! Sending letters to Congress allows ABC to publicly advocate for the views and interests of our more than 23,000 members. By corresponding with U.S. House of Representatives and Senate members, ABC promotes fair and open competition in the construction industry and fights to protect merit shop contractors around the country.

ABC Joins Coalition Letter Opposing USTR’s Proposed Action in Section 301 Investigation of China

On March 24, ABC joined over 300 other trade associations in a letter urging the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to refrain from imposing its proposed actions in response to the Section 301 investigation of China’s targeting the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance.

“We support scrutiny of China’s efforts to dominate the maritime industry,” the letter reads. However, USTR’s proposed actions will not deter China’s broader maritime ambitions and will instead directly hurt American businesses and consumers. Specifically, USTR’s proposed fees will increase shipping costs, container and non-containerized, by at least 25% ($600-$800 or more), adding approximately $30 billion in annual costs on U.S. businesses and farmers.”

The letter went on to acknowledge the intended goal of supporting a domestic shipbuilding industry but explained that the proposed export requirements would force a reduction in U.S. exports, contrary to the Trump Administration’s America First trade goals.