Alliance Formed to Urge Legislators to Fix Trade Dispute

With tariffs hampering $2.4 billion in goods bound for Mexico, more than 150 U.S. manufacturers, companies and agricultural interests have announced the formation of a group called the Alliance to Keep U.S. Jobs.

The Alliance to Keep U.S. Jobs is a diverse coalition of U.S. manufacturers, companies and agricultural interests in danger of losing tens of thousands of American jobs as a result of Congress’s action to violate portions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

In response to this violation, Mexico imposed tariffs on 90 U.S. products, which has resulted in $2.4 billion in lost trade for American companies and workers. Mexico is the U.S.’s third largest trading partner and the harm done to these industries has put hundreds of millions of dollars in markets, capital and other investments directly at risk.

In addition, the impact on America’s small towns and main streets will have damaging consequences in an already difficult economic time.

This group is going to press the Obama administration and Congress to fix an ongoing U.S.-Mexico trade dispute.

These companies were subjected to tariffs by the Government of Mexico only days after the U.S. Congress terminated a U.S. pilot cross-border trucking program, an act that put the United States in violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The Obama administration promised to take action several months ago, but no action has been taken. Alliance spokesman Steve Mulder says the Alliance was formed because the industries had become innocent victims of a lengthy political dispute.

Ken Willetts, vice president of marketing and strategy for Appleton Papers, the world’s largest producer of carbonless paper, says the 10% tariff puts his company at a competitive disadvantage to Asian and European companies that enter Mexico duty free.

“These tariffs come at time when our company, like so many U.S. manufacturers, has been forced to lay off employees as we struggle to battle some of the worst economic conditions we have ever faced,” Willetts said. “Appleton is a 100% employee-owned company. We have very engaged, hardworking employees who are doing everything they can to help us remain competitive in these tough economic times. But the tariffs were not something we could have anticipated or can control.”

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2. CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin says cross-border trucking will be secure