Lawmakers are calling on President Biden to intervene to prevent a proposed massive tariff hike on imported American spirits into Europe. The increase, reportedly backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, could cost thousands of American jobs while driving up prices in Europe for existing products.
In a joint letter to the White House, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), are urging the Biden administration to prevent the sharp, short-term hikes.
“This tariff increase would be significant and could cause lasting damage to US exporters and their employees,” the senators wrote. “We urge the Administration not to allow the proposed tariff to move forward and instead to work with our EU trading partners on a path forward that allows access for American spirits and jobs to remain intact.”
Due to the impact the tariff could have on American jobs and businesses in the EU, the lawmakers are hoping the Biden administration will use its Executive authority to intervene and prevent the hike from taking place. They have also called for the White House to use all available diplomatic channels to ensure a fair outcome for all parties. In addition, the lawmakers have requested that the USDA reconsider any decision to approve the dramatic tariff increase.
