MIC Joins Americans for Free Trade to Oppose Tariff War; Successfully Petitions to Exempt Helmets

U.S. Businesses Warn of Impact on Jobs, Consumers

IRVINE, CA – October 3, 2018 – (Motor Sports Newswire) –  The Motorcycle Industry Council joined the Americans for Free Trade coalition to oppose the tariffs on Chinese products. The coalition has warned that each round of tariffs raises costs for American businesses and, ultimately, consumers.

“The MIC agrees that longstanding issues in China have negatively impacted many U.S. companies, and we support the Trump administration’s efforts to negotiate meaningful, binding, long-term solutions — but tariffs are not the answer,” said Callie Hoyt, federal affairs manager at the MIC. “These new List 3 tariffs on parts and components will undoubtedly raise costs that would ultimately be borne by American motorcycle riders, and this will hurt the economic viability of the domestic powersports industry.”

“Nearly all our aftermarket members will be affected by the tariffs,” said Corey Meyerson, membership advisor at the MIC. “As a member of the Americans for Free Trade, the MIC will work within the coalition to protect the U.S. powersports market and ensure that our members have a voice in the unified, multi-industry tariff opposition.”

The MIC had submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative opposing the inclusion of all powersports components, parts and safety headgear in List 3. In the final list of products, USTR removed 297 tariff lines from the original list, including powersports helmets.

“While we commend the administration’s action in response to MIC’s petition against the inclusion of safety headgear, these new tariffs on about $200 billion worth of Chinese products still affect powersports components and will increase the cost of ownership for all Americans,” Hoyt said. The Line 3 tariffs were announced Sept. 17 and took effect Sept. 24, starting at 10 percent. It will rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1. This comes on top of the $50 billion in Chinese goods taxed earlier this year.

The powersports industry contributed $40 billion in economic value in 2016 via sales, services, advertising, insurance premiums, vehicle financing charges, salaries, state taxes paid and vehicle registration fees, and it employed 80,300 people at dealers in the United States.

Various businesses across the country have voiced concern over the negative impact tariffs would have on U.S. economic growth, jobs and prosperity. In response, an ad hoc coalition of trade organizations representing U.S. manufacturers, farmers, agribusinesses, retailers, technology companies, natural gas and oil companies, importers, exporters and other supply-chain stakeholders launched Americans for Free Trade on Sept. 12.

Americans for Free Trade will take strong action to oppose tariffs, including holding town hall meetings across the country to bring together farmers, business owners, factory workers and others to discuss how tariffs are hurting them. The coalition will also feature op-eds from Americans bearing the brunt of the tariffs, launch a digital media campaign, operate a rapid-response “war room” to fact-check and respond to tariff announcements, run paid advertisements highlighting how tariffs are affecting American consumers, workers and businesses, and take other actions as needed.

About Motorcycle Industry Council

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, AIMExpo, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit, national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers, distributors, dealers and retailers of motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, ROVs, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts, accessories and related goods and services, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.

The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at mic.org.

Source: Motorcycle Industry Council

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