SEMA opposes proposed internal combustion engine ban.
A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel ruled that U.S. tariffs imposed on $234 billion worth of goods from China violate WTO rules.
The action was taken with the expectation that a reported surge in unalloyed aluminum imports earlier this year is expected to decline in the coming months.
President Trump issued an Executive Order on August 8 to establish a voluntary deferral of workers’ federal payroll taxes for September 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, and the U.S. Treasury Department issued a three-page guidance document on August 28 on how the program would work.
While many lawmakers spend their entire adult lives in government, U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) chose a different path, entering public service after spending more than three decades working in the automotive aftermarket. His experience in the industry and in dealing with government regulations shaped his views on a range of issues, which is why Sen. Braun is using his platform to make government friendlier to small businesses, taxpayers and automotive enthusiasts.
Maintenance Backlog on Federal Lands: The U.S. Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA)—a SEMA-supported bill that is critically important to revitalizing America’s outdoor recreation industry. The GAOA would dedicate $9.5 billion over the next five years to addressing the maintenance backlog on federally owned lands by creating a national parks and public land legacy restoration fund. The bill would also appropriate $900 million annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund to help fund the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and several other federal agencies as they rebuild and improve trails, roads, docks, campgrounds and more.
The Virginia Senate introduced SEMA-supported legislation (S.B. 5029), which includes provisions that would change certain traffic infractions from primary to secondary offenses.
President Trump issued executive actions to withhold the collection of payroll taxes through the end of 2020, provide $300 per week in federal supplemental unemployment benefits, permit the deferral of student loan repayment until 2021 for federal loans and direct federal agencies to consider funding rental assistance to prevent evictions.
Nevada and Tennessee are the latest states to enact versions of SEMA-supported liability protection legislation.
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) granted 266 extension requests of the 960 exclusions previously granted for List 3 products imported from China and subject to 25% tariffs.