1 UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE + + + + + 301 COMMITTEE + + + + + SECTION 301 TARIFFS PUBLIC HEARING + + + + + MONDAY AUGUST 20, 2018 + + + + + The 301 Committee met in the Hearing Room of the International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW, Washington, D.C., at 9:30 a.m., William Busis, Megan Grimball, and Arthur Tsao, Co-Chairs, presiding. PRESENT WILLIAM BUSIS, Chair, U.S. Trade Representative MEGAN GRIMBALL, Chair, U.S. Trade Representative ARTHUR TSAO, Chair, U.S. Trade Representative EMILY BLEIMUND, Department of Health and Human Services SARAH BONNER, Small Business Administration MARIA D'ANDREA-YOTHERS, Department of Commerce JANET HEINZEN, U.S. Trade Representative BILL JACKSON, U.S. Trade Representative RACHEL KNISLEY, U.S. Department of Agriculture STEVAN MITCHELL, Department of Commerce MAUREEN PETTIS, Department of Labor RACHEL SALZMAN, Department of Commerce PETER SECOR, Department of State ANDREW STEPHENS, U.S. Department of Agriculture ADAM SULEWSKI, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection TERRENCE McCARTIN, U.S. Trade Representative AMY ZUCKERMAN, Department of the Treasury Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com 2 STAFF PRESENT BILL BISHOP, U.S. Trade Representative TYRELL BURCH, U.S. Trade Representative WITNESSES PRESENT TONY ABBOUD, Vapor Technology Association WILLIAM ALEXANDER, 5N Plus Semiconductors ERIK AUTOR, National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones SCOTT BARFIELD, William Barnet & Son SARA BEATTY, National Council of Textile Organizations ROSS BISHOP, BrightLine Bags, Inc. BRIAN BLOCH, SimpliSafe, Inc. MIKE BRANSON, Rheem Manufacturing Company EDWARD BRZYTWA, American Chemistry Council BELLE CHOU, Shen Wei USA SAM COBB, Real Wood Floors JOSEPH COHEN, Snow Joe, LLC TOM COVE, Sports and Fitness Industry Association PATRICK CUNNANE, PeopleForBikes and American Sports Enterprise JONATHAN DAVIS, SEMI JIM DAY, 47 Brands, LLC DARREN DUNN, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools DANIEL FABRICANT, Natural Products Association JESSICA FEGAN, Connecticut Chemical, LP STUART FELDTEIN, Albaugh, LLC STEVE FRAZIER, HLP Klearfold KAREN GIBERSON, Accessories Council JOSEPH GRUCHACZ, Canaxy USA, Inc. RICK HABBEN, Wahl Clipper Corporation EVA HAMPL, U.S. Council for International Business JEN HARNED, Bell Sports, Inc. RICHARD HARPER, Outdoor Industry Association DOUGLAS HEFFNER, Dole Packaged Foods KIM HEIMAN, Standard Textile Co ELIZABETH HIGGINS, Owens Corning MICHAEL HUFF, Ascensus Specialties, LLC KEN IPPOLITI, SouthernCarlson, Inc. Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com 3 MARC JACKSON, Teckrez, Inc. JERRY JOHNSON, Blount International TODD KESKE, Foam Supplies, Inc. DAVE KIERSZNOWSKI, DEMDACO GENE KONCZAL, Yanjan USA, LLC COLTON LA ZAR, National Candle Association STEPHEN LAMAR, American Apparel & Footwear Association STEPHEN LANG, American Bridal & Prom Industry Association, Inc. LARRY LITTLE, Trayton America, Inc. BOB MARGEVICIUS, Bicycle Product Suppliers Association and Specialized Bicycle Components MELISSA MASH, Dagne Dover MIKE MASSEY, Ragan and Massey, Inc. DAVID MATHISON, Leather Miracles, LLC ROBIN McCANN, Archroma US, Inc. JOHN McGRATH, Pactiv, LLC MATT MOORE, Quality Bicycle Products, Inc. GREGORY NELSON, EW Polymer Group, LLC MARK O'BRYAN, TricorBraun MATT ROWAN, Health Industry Distributors Association RICHARD RUZZINI, Johnson Matthew, Inc. MICHAEL SAIVETZ, Richloom Fabrics Group VISHAK SANKARAN, Bushnell Holdings, Inc. CHARLIE SOUHRADA, North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers DAVID STEVENS, Tire Retreat and Repair Information Bureau ANDREW TAYLOR, Juice Products Association NICOLE VASILAROS, National Marine Manufacturers Association TERRY WITZEL, Onward Manufacturing Company SHAWN XU, Lianda Corporation SADIQ YAKOOBI, Bloomage Freda Biopharm USA, Inc. ERIC ZETTERQUIST, Zetterquist Galleries Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com 4 C-O-N-T-E-N-T-S Opening Statement from Chair and Introduction of the 301 Committee. 7 Panel One Ross Bishop, BrightLine Bags, Inc. .12 Jim Day, 47 Brand, LLC . .18 Melissa Mash, Dagne Dover. .25 Karen Giberson, Accessories Council. .31 Dave Kiersznowski, DEMDACO . .38 Stephen Lamar, American Apparel & Footwear Association. .44 David Mathison, Leather Miracles, LLC. .50 Stephen Lang, American Bridal Prom Industry Association, Inc.. .54 Panel Two William Alexander, 5N Industry Association. .73 Tom Cove, Sports and Fitness Industry Association. .80 Jonathan Davis, SEMI . .86 Jen Harned, Bell Sports, Inc.. .91 Bob Margevicius, Bicycle Product Suppliers Association and Specialized Bicycle Components . .97 Matt Moore, Quality Bicycle Products, Inc. 102 Patrick Cunnane, PeopleForBikes and American Sports Enterprise. 107 Vishak Sankaran, Bushnell Holdings, Inc. 112 Panel Three Stuart Feldstein, Albaugh, LLC . 135 Mike Massey, Ragan and Massey, Inc.. 142 Andrew Taylor, Juice Products Association. 146 Michael Huff, Ascensus Specialties, LLC. 153 Nicole Vasilaros, National Marine Manufacturers Association. 157 Sam Cobb, Real Wood Floors . 163 Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com 5 Panel Four Edward Brzytwa, American Chemistry Council . 181 Jessica Fegan, Connection Chemical, LP . 186 Joseph Gruchacz, Canaxy USA, Inc.. 192 Douglas Heffner, Dole Packaged Foods . 198 Todd Keske, Foam Supplies, Inc.. 203 Robin McCann, Archroma US, Inc.. 208 Richard Ruzzini, Johnson Matthey, Inc. 213 Sadiq Yakoobi, Bloomage Freda Biopharm USA, Inc. 219 Panel Five Tony Abboud, Vapor Technology Association. 233 Brian Bloch, SimpliSafe, Inc.. 240 Mike Branson, Rheem Manufacturing Company. 245 Darren Dunn, SOG Specialty Knives & Tools. 251 Rick Habben, Wahl Clipper Corporation. 257 Elizabeth Higgins, Owens Corning . 263 John McGrath, Proactiv, LLC. 270 Charlie Souhrada, North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers . 274 Panel Six Scott Barfield, William Barnet and Son . 296 Eva Hampl, U.S. Council for International Business . 297 Kim Heiman, Standard Textile Organizations . 303 Larry Little, Trayton America, Inc.. 314 Michael Saivetz, Richloom Fabrics Group. 321 Eric Zetterquist, Zetterquist Galleries. 327 Erik Autor, National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones. 331 Panel Seven Belle Chou, Shen Wei USA . 352 Steve Frazier, HLP Klearfold . 358 Marc Jackson, Teckrez, Inc.. 363 Tom Jarvis, Winston & Strawn for Gene Konczal, Yanjan USA, LLC. 365 Shawn Xu, Lianda Corporation . 369 Colton La Zar, National Candle Association . 373 Mark O'Bryan, TricorBraun. 378 Matt Rowan, Health Industry Distributors Assoc.. 384 Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com 6 Panel Eight Dr. Daniel Fabricant, Natural Products Association. 409 Richard Harper, Outdoor Industry Association. 410 Ethan Sigler, EW Polymer Group, LLC. 416 Terry Witzel, Onward Manufacturing Company . 419 Jerry Johnson, Blount International. 425 David Steven, Tire Retread and Repair Information Bureau . 429 Joseph Cohen, Snow Joe, LLC. 435 Adjourn. 451 Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com 7 1 P-R-O-C-E-E-D-I-N-G-S 2 (9:30 a.m.) 3 CHAIR BUSIS: Will the room please 4 come to order? 5 Good morning and welcome. The Office 6 of the United States Trade Representative, in 7 conjunction with the Interagency Section 301 8 Committee, is holding this public hearing in 9 connection with the Section 301 investigation of 10 China's acts, policies, and practices related to 11 technology transfer, intellectual property, and 12 innovation. 13 The United States Trade Representative 14 initiated the investigation on August 18, 2017. 15 Since that time, the trade representative has 16 determined to take two actions in the 17 investigation. 18 On June 20th, 2018, USTR published a 19 Federal Register notice imposing an additional 20 duty of 25 percent on products from China with an 21 annual trade value of approximately $34 billion, 22 effective July 6, 2018. Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com 8 1 On July 16, 2018, the USTR published 2 a Federal Register notice imposing an additional 3 duty of 25 percent on products from China with an 4 annual trade value of approximately $16 billion, 5 effective August 23, 2018. 6 Unfortunately, China has not responded 7 to these actions by addressing the unfair and 8 harmful acts, policies, and practices found in 9 the investigation. 10 Instead, China has chosen to attempt 11 to cause further harm to the U.S. economy. 12 Accordingly, on July 17, the USTR published a 13 Federal Register notice seeking public comment on 14 a proposed supplemental action to be taken in the 15 investigation. 16 The proposed supplemental action is an 17 additional duty on a list of products from China 18 with an annual trade value of approximately $200 19 billion. 20 The proposed rate of duty for the 21 supplemental action was initially 10 percent. On 22 August 7, the USTR published a Federal Register Neal R. Gross and Co., Inc. (202) 234-4433 Washington DC www.nealrgross.com 9 1 notice announcing that the trade representative 2 was considering a 25 percent rate of additional 3 duty for the supplemental action. 4 The purpose of this hearing is to 5 receive public testimony regarding the proposed 6 supplemental action as described in the July 17 7 and August 7 notices. 8 Written submissions including post- 9 hearing comments should be submitted by no later 10 than September 6. The Section 301 Committee will 11 carefully consider the testimony and the