On behalf of the undersigned members of Americans for Free Trade, we are writing to request that Congress exercise its Article I, Section 8 authority over trade matters and urge USTR to immediately conclude and release the results of its four-year statutory review of the Section 301 tariffs. USTR initiated this review on May 3, 2022. USTR has taken over a year and half to conduct the review, which has exacerbated the uncertainty around the future of the tariffs. We further urge Congress to demand that USTR provide an immediate extension for the limited China 301 tariff exclusions and COVID exclusions, which are currently set to expire on December 31 – less than 20 days from now.
Author Archive for NITL Staff – Page 2
The Coalition Associations hereby submit these Reply Comments in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) served in this docket by the Surface Transportation Board (“STB” or “Board”) on September 7, 2023. These Reply Comments respond to the opening comments of the Association of American Railroads (“AAR”) and the six Class I railroads.2 The reciprocal switching statute at 49 U.S.C. § 11102(c) contains two alternative standards for prescribing reciprocal switching. The first is “practicable and in the public interest” 1The “Coalition Associations” are the American Chemistry Council (“ACC”), The Fertilizer Institute (“TFI”), and The National Industrial Transportation League (“NITL”).
NITL supports TransForce and FastPort for their efforts to get veterans hired. Veterans are one of the most highly sought-after groups for employment. From skills and work ethic to leadership and mindset, the value of the veteran workforce to the American economy cannot be understated. The transportation industry sees tremendous benefits from hiring resilient, detail-oriented and safety-cautious professionals.
The National Industrial Transportation League, NITL, submits this letter strongly supporting the Transportation Intermediaries Associations (TIA) filed comments in response to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) above referenced Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM).
NITL Files Comments with The Fertilizer Institute and American Chemistry Council. The NPRM closed Docket No. EP 711 (Sub-No. 1) (“Sub-Docket No. 1”), which had proposed regulations that would provide reciprocal switching pursuant to the standards in 49 U.S.C. § 11102(c) when “practicable and in the public interest, or where such agreements are necessary to provide competitive rail service.” In its place, the Board has opened this new sub[1]docket to provide for reciprocal switching solely to address “inadequate rail service” under the public interest standard of § 11102(c). The scope of the NPRM is much narrower than the scope sought by The NITL in its Petition for Rulemaking in Ex Parte No. 7112 and in the Board’s notice of proposed rulemaking in Sub-Docket No. 1.3 Both proposals sought to implement the full scope of § 11102(c) by enhancing rail competition through reciprocal switching. It is through such competition that the Coalition Associations remain convinced that service inadequacies can be most effectively addressed. Moreover, rail competition also fosters reasonable rates, balanced commercial terms, greater innovation, and increased efficiency, which in turn furthers multiple aspects of the national Rail Transportation Policies.4 Nevertheless, the NPRM proposes regulations that have the potential to be a significant improvement over the existing standards for reciprocal switching and have the support of the Coalition Associations with the modifications proposed herein.
Dear NITL Members, Partners, Speakers, and Attendees:
The survey results from the NITL Engage 2023 conference demonstrate that the Conference was a success, and we are pleased to celebrate the reinvigorated NITL! We thank all of those who were able to participate in the Conference and are already looking for a venue for 2024, so please hold a space in your budget for NITL Engage 2024, we are looking at late October, early November and will get the details out as soon as the Education Committee approves the location.
NITL provides its responses to the Federal Maritime Commission’s (“FMC”) Request for Information (“RFI”) in Docket No. FMC-2023- 0016. The RFI concerns data challenges in the ocean cargo supply chain network that have been examined as part of the Maritime Transportation Data Initiative (“MTDI”) led by Commissioner Carl W. Bentzel.1 The Commission seeks additional information from stakeholders in the shipping industry to expand the information gathered from the MTDI sessions and address additional topics related to data availability, accuracy, transmission, and exchange.
The National Industrial Transportation League (NITL or League), the nation’s oldest trade association representing US shippers that rely on rail freight transportation systems to competitively ship their materials domestically and internationally, welcomes today’s Surface Transportation Board’s (STB or Board) unanimous Decision in proposing service-based alternative switching and data collection addressing reliability, consistency, and inadequate local rail carrier service. NITL applauds the agency for its bi-partisan efforts on this issue and their eagerness to get to a final rule by the end of the year.
The CFATS Coalition comprises trade associations and companies regulated by the CFATS program. Coalition members represent major sectors of the American economy, including chemical production, chemical distribution and storage, manufacturing, oil and gas refining, utilities, mining, and agricultural goods and services. The businesses we represent and the goods they produce are vital to the American economy and our quality of life.
The (“CFATS Coalition”) urge Congress to swiftly consider and approve H.R. 4470, House-passed legislation to reauthorize for two years the Chemical Facility Antiterrorism Standards (CFATS) program that expired on July 27, 2023.
The National Industrial Transportation League (“NITL” or the “League”) hereby submits its comments in response to the Federal Maritime Commission’s (“FMC” or the “Commission”) Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“SNPRM”) published in the Federal Register on June 14, 2023. The Commission is proposing to expand the scope of this proceeding to include ocean carrier unreasonable refusals to provide cargo space accommodations, when available, under § 41104(a)(3), and has revised certain proposals included in its prior notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) concerning ocean carrier unreasonable refusals to deal or negotiate vessel space accommodations under § 41104(a)(10).
2024 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
