Business Coalition Gets Victory, Eyes More on New Rule [10+2]

(The Hill – Roxana Tiron)

Despite a significant victory, U.S. business groups remain critical of an interim rule imposing new conditions on imports, saying it will raise the cost of doing business without strengthening national security.

A coalition of manufacturers and importers, which includes the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), had battled the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over the original rule in a bruising inter-agency battle. Members of Congress had sided with the business coalition.

While the interim rule is an improvement, the business coalition argues many small businesses still will have trouble competing if they must heed the new regulations on imports.

“We think that this is a serious victory for the coalition but by no means does this say that we are not going to continue our efforts,” said Bryan Zumwalt, the counsel for the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which had major concerns over the original rule.

“Work still has to be done to create a final rule that works for both national security and U.S. manufacturers,” NAM President John Engler said in a statement.

Other business groups that fought against the initial rule include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the European-American Business Council, the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, the American Petroleum Institute and the Consumer Electronics Association. Read the complete article at here.