[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 16, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          REGARDING THE INTRODUCTION OF DUTY SUSPENSION BILLS

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                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 16, 2002

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce 13 bills to 
suspend the duty on the importation of products used by a manufacturer 
in my home state of Rhode Island. Several of these products are organic 
colorants used in manufacturing processes requiring unique 
characteristics beyond the mere addition of color. For example, some of 
the products are used in the manufacture of plastics; they combine the 
characteristics of stability in high heat as well as maintaining the 
color of the plastic for long periods of time. Others are used for 
automotive coatings, and they replace older colorants based on metals 
such as lead, chromium, molybdenum, cadmium and mercury.
  Also among the products for which I am seeking temporary duty relief 
are colorants that can maintain their exact shade even when used in 
manufacturing processes exceeding 200 degrees centigrade. Other 
products are intermediate chemicals used in the manufacture of 
pigments.
  The temporary suspension of duty on products imported into the United 
States is sound public policy so long as there is no domestic producer 
of the same products or directly competitive products. I have been 
assured there are no domestic producers of the 13 products for which I 
am seeking duty relief. Eliminating the duty on these products will 
allow the Rhode Island manufacturer to maintain its competitiveness in 
the international market. The products for which I am seeking duty 
suspension are manufactured overseas by the sister companies of the 
Rhode Island manufacturer. In addition, I was pleased to learn that the 
Rhode Island company invested several million dollars to expand 
domestic manufacturing capacity in Rhode Island for a product that 
formerly received a suspension of duty.

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