Industry associations write joint letter urging quick resolution to trade disagreements

The heads of European Boating Industry (EBI), the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) in the US have written a joint letter to EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer regarding tariffs on free trade.

EBI’s Piero Formenti, Andrea Razeto from Icomia, and Thom Dammrich from the NMMA are urging both sides to resolve trade disagreements regarding aluminium and steel tariffs and welcome the opportunity to also address technical barriers to trade.

The recreational boating industry would particularly benefit, as it faces higher raw material costs, retaliation of marine products, and technical barriers to trade.

The US and EU are natural trade partners and have a long tradition of exchanges in the boat industry. Icomia, EBI and the NMMA play a critical role in the international dialogue of the recreational marine industry and support policies that benefit boating on both sides of the Atlantic.

Recreational boating is a significant contributor to the US and European economy, contributing $39bn in annual US sales through 650,000 jobs and 35,000 businesses. For the European Union, the boating industry is a significant contributor to the economy, accounting for over 32,000 businesses directly employing more than 280,000 people and generating an annual turnover of nearly €20bn.

“Our industry was vocal during the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) discussion and would like to reiterate our support of reducing technical barriers to trade that address standards harmonization, regulatory convergence and conformity assessment procedures,” the letter states.

To read the letter in its entirety, click here.