Washington, D.C. – Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-18) joined Ways and Means Republican Leader Kevin Brady (TX-08) and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Vern Buchanan (FL-16) as an original co-sponsor of the Trade Preferences and American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2021.
The Trade Preferences and American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act builds upon the success of USMCA and renews trade programs to protect U.S. workers and small businesses. This legislation improves and reauthorizes two programs, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB), while also extending the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act (AMCA) to pave the way for two future cycles of the MTB.
The legislation includes language similar to Rep. LaHood's Digital Trade for Development Act that would modernize the GSP to support open digital trade policies that promote economic growth around the world.
"The GSP and MTB are two important tools we have to strengthen America's economic competitiveness and advance American values throughout the world," said Rep. LaHood. "I am pleased that important provisions similar to my Digital Trade for Development Act were included in this bill to modernize the GSP and support open digital trade policies. Given the strong bipartisan support in the Senate for this bill, I hope House Democrats will work with Republicans to build on this bill and strengthen American trade."
Companion legislation to the Trade Preferences and American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act was introduced in the Senate by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. The bill passed the Senate with 91 votes and was included as part of the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021. The 2018 MTB passed the House by a unanimous recorded vote of 402-0 and the 2018 GSP renewal passed the House by a 400-2 margin, without a single House Democrat voting against either program.
At yesterday's Ways and Means Republican Meeting on The Importance of Renewal of the GSP and the MTB for Jobs and the Economy, Rep. LaHood highlighted the need to renew these programs. You can watch his remarks HERE.
Rep. LaHood serves on the Subcommittee on Trade for the Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful – and the oldest – committee in the House of Representatives. He also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and co-chairs the Digital Trade Caucus and the U.S.-China Working Group.
To learn more about the Trade Preferences and American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act from Ways and Means Republicans, go HERE.
