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ReMA Testifies Before the U.S. International Trade Commission on Issue of Environmental Goods

Oct 14, 2015, 09:34 AM by Mark Carpenter

(Washington, DC) - The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) testified before the U.S. International Trade Commission today. The purpose of the testimony, presented by ReMA Chief Economist Joe Pickard, was to support recognition of recycled commodities and recycling equipment as environmental goods and to inform the Commission of the benefits of tariff reduction.

Pickard’s testimony as prepared follows:

I am extremely honored and pleased to represent ReMA and appear today before the U.S. International Trade Commission in support of the Commission’s investigation into the probable economic effects of providing duty-free treatment for a second list of articles under the WTO’s environmental goods trade negotiations.

The EGA negotiations by their very nature recognize the need to promote the trade of environmental goods due in part to society's move towards sustainable development and improved environmental stewardship. Recycling has been and continues to be a main pillar of that movement and ReMA is extremely pleased at the heightened awareness among the negotiators that recycled commodities and equipment are indeed environmental goods.

ISRI fully supports the EGA negotiations and the inclusion of the full range of recycled commodities and scrap recycling equipment as environmental goods during these and future trade negotiations.

Currently, U.S. companies face a range of overseas import tariffs on exports of U.S. recycled goods and recycling equipment. At the same time, there are no (zero) general duties imposed by the United States on imports of recycled goods such as recovered paper and fiber, ferrous and nonferrous scrap, or plastic scrap. The elimination of tariff barriers on U.S. recycling industry exports would not only promote trade and result in significant environmental benefits, it would also promote U.S. economic growth, create jobs, raise income, and generate additional tax revenue.

As such, ReMA is committed to assisting the USITC throughout its investigation and would welcome the opportunity to provide additional input on the benefits associated with the inclusion of harmonized trade codes covering the full range of recycled commodities and recycling equipment.

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The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) is the Voice of the Recycling Industry™. ReMA represents more than 1,600 companies in 21 chapters nationwide that process, broker and industrially consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics and textiles. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute provides safety, education, advocacy, and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycling plays in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development.