News Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) – chairman and ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, respectively – sent inquiries to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, requesting additional information from the administration regarding efforts to help small businesses impacted by tariffs on U.S. trading partners.

“In addition to disrupting costs, supply chains and markets, the Administration’s tariffs have added new red tape and bureaucratic processes that small businesses have been forced to navigate,” the senators wrote. “Unlike large corporations, most small businesses do not have the time or resources to devote to reading the Federal Register, understanding the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States and making the case to federal agencies that their products should be exempt.”

“While we recognize the need to rein in unfair trade practices, we have concerns with the Administration’s approach to imposing tariffs, especially on our allies,” the senators continued. “We hope to work with you to make any exclusion process and tariff impacts as painless as possible for small businesses and are eager to learn what steps the Department/your agency has taken to address these concerns.”

The senators also asked specific questions regarding how the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce are engaging with small businesses about tariffs and processes for filing exclusion requests, efforts to work with the Small Business Administration to provide assistance to small businesses, and outreach that the Department and agency have done to help those impacted by the tariffs.

The letters can be read in full here and here.
 

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