November 2022 Volume 4

WASHINGTON UPDATE

FIAWashington Update By Megha Patel

United States International Trade Commission (USITC) hearing on the economic impact of Section 232 and 301 tariffs in late July. Jim Warren, FIA President & CEO, and Chelsea Lantto, Trenton Forging President, testified on July 20th to express the positive effect the tariffs have had on domestic forging companies and the necessity to leave them intact. FIA continues to stay at the forefront of all Section 301 tariffs issues and will keep the members informed on the latest development in the coming months. For the past fewmonths, FIA has been actively engaged in grassroots advocacy. FIA staff and the Public Policy Committee put together a Letter to the Editor highlighting the need for Section 301 tariffs and the economic pressure they put on China. On July 31st, Crain’s Cleveland published the piece digitally and in print, which brought excellent exposure to the domestic forging industry. We have also been pouring a great deal of time and effort into conducting plant

tours with lawmakers to educate them on the importance of manufacturing in the United States. In early October, Campbell Press Repair graciously hosted their district’s United States House Representative, Elissa Slotkin. The following week, Michigan State Senator TomBarrett visitedMichigan Forge and Campbell Press Repair. Both elected officials were in awe of the forging industry’s capability and capacity, especially their ability to ensure national security. FIA will continue to host key government leaders at our member companies’ facilities to educate and develop substantive relationships.

What a wonderful whirlwind the last few months have been! Policymakers in Washington D.C. have been anything but idle. From the USTR review on Section 301 tariffs to the USTIC hearing, there has not been a single, dull moment in the government affairs realm. Not to mention our own grassroots advocacy efforts have been full speed ahead. I know the most important topic on our minds is the Section 301 tariffs. So where do we stand on the continuation of the much needed relief? Well, much has still yet to be determined. What I can tell you is here at FIA, in partnership with our lobby firm The Franklin Partnership, we are very much engaged in the process and are doing all in our power to ensure the Section 301 tariffs remain in effect for our industry. At the beginning of June, we sent out a Call to Action asking members to submit a comment to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) regarding the necessity of the tariffs. Over twenty member companies filed a request for continuation and FIA entered its own remark on behalf of the forging industry. There was overwhelming support across numerous industries that USTR could not ignore the need for the next steps in the four-year review. On October 12th, USTR announced they would open a portal for comments once again, but this round will focus on the economic impact rather than just a simple request for continuation. The comment period begins November 15th and will end January 17th of next year. FIA will be sending out a Call to Action once again and this time around the stakes are incredibly greater. If the requests for eliminating the tariffs outnumber the ones for continuation, the Section 301 tariffs will cease to exist. Therefore, we truly need the help of all our members to file a submission. Every single employee is eligible to request a continuation, not just the company, so please be sure to spread the word. In conjunction with our USTR efforts, FIA and a member company participated in the

Thank you to all our members who have made the advocacy efforts possible. Without your tremendous support, none of this would be possible. FIA will continue to progress our advocacy goals and spare no effort to ensure a robust North American forging industry. Megha M. Patel

Government Affairs Manager Forging Industry Association Phone: 216-781-6260 Email: megha@forging.org

4

FIA MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2022