Coronavirus: US considering three-month import duty delay but Trump administration facing opposition
- US Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies have discussed suspending tariffs to offset the economic impact of the virus
- Coalition for a Prosperous America, though, have expressed concern that the move is under consideration
The Trump administration is debating whether to defer payments of duties on imported goods from around the world for three months, people familiar with the talks said.
In a letter to acting US Customs and Border Protection commissioner Mark Morgan, the Coalition for a Prosperous America expressed concern that the move was under consideration.
“At a time of financial hardship and unrest as a result of the coronavirus – [US Customs and Border Protection] should not reintroduce unfairly traded goods to cause American workers further economic pain because of lobbying efforts of stateless companies,” the group wrote Tuesday. “This effort by [US Customs and Border Protection] will only exacerbate the financial situation of countless Americans.”
An official for [US Customs and Border Protection] did not immediately respond to a request for comment after hours.