Greg Gianforte : Gianforte Helps Advance Tariff Bill to Benefit Montana Manufacturers

Washington, D.C. - Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte, who led a bipartisan group of House members to eliminate outdated border taxes, hailed passage of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act of 2018, H.R. 4318. The bill passed unanimously on a vote of 402-0.

'The bipartisan bill is a win for Montana's manufacturers, workers, and consumers,' Gianforte said. 'Eliminating these outdated tariffs will level the playing field for our manufacturers and will make them more competitive around the globe. Right here in Montana, it could save our manufacturers close to $1.4 million and help protect the more than 20,000 Montanans who work in manufacturing.'

Gianforte led a bipartisan letter urging passage of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Signed by 34 House members of both parties, the letter was sent last week to House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. The letter may be found here.

Currently, many American manufacturers must rely on certain imported goods which are not produced in the United States. As a result, manufacturers must pay tariffs on these imports, ultimately increasing their costs, holding back job creation and wage growth, and restricting the global competitiveness of American manufacturers. The bill suspends or temporarily reduces these burdensome tariffs.

Montana will benefit from the measure, with potential tariff savings for Montana companies of about $450,000 in 2018 and about $1.4 million over 2018-2020. At least three Montana manufacturers could see savings as a result of the legislation, including Sun Mountain Sports, Inc. in Missoula as well as W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. and Simms Fishing Products LLC, both in Bozeman.

K.C. Walsh, executive chairman of Simms Fishing Products, welcomed passage of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill: 'The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (H.R. 4318) passed by the House of Representatives today with the support of our Congressman Greg Gianforte will provide significant cost savings for Simms and enhance the competitiveness of our operations in Bozeman. Once signed into law, it will help Simms remain an industry leader as we continue to be a major manufacturer of high quality, globally competitive outdoor products in the state of Montana. With over 85,000 square foot facility and nearly 200 employees in Bozeman, Simms is committed to maintaining our Montana footprint. We are very grateful to Congressman Gianforte's steadfast support for Montana's outdoor industry, including his efforts on the MTB.'

Background:

On Friday, Gianforte sent a letter, signed by 34 House Republicans and Democrats, to Speaker Paul Ryan and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, urging passage of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill. The letter may be found here.

Montana manufacturers could see potential tariff savings of $448,039 in 2018 and $1,379,294 between 2018 and 2020, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Examples of manufacturers in Montana who stand to benefit from this legislation:

Simms Fishing Products LLC in Bozeman
Sun Mountain Sports, Inc. in Missoula
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. in Bozeman

More than 20,000 Montanans are employed in manufacturing, which continues to expand. Employment in manufacturing in Montana grew by 2 percent between 2016 and 2017, according to the Bureau of Business and Economic Research.