Fellow members of the American Chamber of Commerce in China,
Our membership has indicated its need for a level playing field and reciprocal treatment to improve market access in China. The recent US Government import tariff proposals seem to have brought the issue into focus, though have yet to resolve the current trade disagreements. As there is growing concern among members over potential adverse impact of tariffs on the bilateral trade and their business operations in China, AmCham China is focused on helping to address these concerns.
On behalf of the Chamber, I would like to call for the following actions:
I. Submit your written comments to the Federal Registry Notice of Determination and Request for Public Comment Concerning Proposed Determination of Action Pursuant to Section 301: China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation (Click to view the details)
- April 23, 2018: Due date for filing requests to appear and a summary of expected testimony at the public hearing and for filing pre-hearing submissions;
- May 11, 2018: Due date for submission of written comments;
- May 15, 2018: The Section 301 Committee will convene a public hearing in the main hearing room of the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW Washington DC 20436 beginning at 10:00 a.m.;
- May 22, 2018: Due date for submission of post-hearing rebuttal comments.
AmCham China is considering submitting comments on the draft list of tariffs and welcomes member input. Please send any comments to policyteam@amchamchina.org by no later than COB Monday, April 23.
II. Contact your AmCham China industry-focused Forums & Committee support staff to organize industry meetings and develop industry-based comments for submission as soon as possible. Consolidated comments will be submitted directly to the Federal Registry or via AmCham China’s various U.S. Government engagement channels in Beijing and Washington D.C., including meetings with the U.S. Government during our annual Doorknock later this month. Your AmCham China staff contacts are:
- Jenny Chen jchen@amchamchina.org on agriculture, automotive, energy and clean technologies, food and beverage, cosmetics and nutrition;
- Catherine Liu cliu@amchamchina.org on financial services and insurance, supply chain, export control;
- Evan Schmitt eschmitt@amchamchina.org on information and communications technologies and products, visa & travel;
- Yining Liang yliang@amchamchina.org on manufacturing, equipment, custom, culture, media and entertainment;
- Feier Chen fchen@amchamchina.org on healthcare.
We recommend that all meetings take place before May 11.
III. Join AmCham China workshops and learn from peers and experts about how to manage uncertainties.
AmCham China wants to provide a platform of knowledge, leadership and expertise to help you navigate these potentially challenging times. So we will be organizing workshops based on industries of AmCham China's forums and committees to cover the following topics:
- Business contingency planning and preparation for tariffs
- Business performance forecasting and scenario planning
- Global supply chain management and sourcing from China
- Customs duties, compliance and administration
- Operationalizing compliance and risk management
- Advocacy and government communications
- Leveraging technologies to mitigate risks
- Marketing and corporate communications
- Foreign exchange and hedging
- Corporate security and safety
- People mobility and travel management
For more suggestions and details or if you would like to be a workshop partner to share your knowledge, please contact Henri Tan, Director of Member Operations, at htan@amchamchina.org.
In the recent briefing with our members, U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and his team assured us they would keep an open door and good communication channels for American companies. We will provide you with the information and tools to help you manage the uncertainties, and AmCham China will continue to serve as a bridge to communicate your needs to both governments in this most important bilateral trade relationship.
Best regards,
William Zarit
Chairman, the American Chamber of Commerce in China
