The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) has submitted comments for a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee. The topic for hearing was on the trade advisory committee system, and efforts to increase transparency and public participation in the development of US trade policy.
SOCMA expressed its support for the Trade Advisory Committee System (ITAC), which consists of appointed industry representatives with significant expertise. They advise the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) and the Department of Commerce on highly technical issues.
“The existing ITAC system has served the country well, being especially beneficial to small business. Most large companies have sufficient resources to present their trade issue interests effectively before government entitie. Therefore, it appropriately allows smaller companies to also have input into our officials,” said SOCMA.
“SOCMA believes that every interested citizen of the US deserves to have input into US trade policy. We are very fortunate to have an enormously talented group of individuals, both career and appointed, in both the Office of the USTR and the Department of Commerce, dedicated to expanded trade in goods and services. It has been repeatedly shown that increased trade is vital to increasing the prosperity of the United States,” added SOCMA.