Centrorochas Goes to Washington … Again
VITÓRIA, Brazil – The Brazilian Natural Stone Association – Centrorochas – will participate in the public hearing set for July 6 in front of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
The hearing, set for Washington, will discuss the proposed tariff measures currently under review under Section 301. Following completion of a written submission phase, the public hearing is designed to bring together representatives from companies, trade associations, confederations and other organizations interested in presenting their views directly to the U.S. government.
A total of 85 participants are slated for this stage of the review process.
Representing Centrorochas will be the organization’s vice president, Fabio Cruz. He will present arguments demonstrating the potential effects of the proposed tariffs on U.S. businesses, jobs, investments and supply chains, while reinforcing the rationale for excluding Brazilian natural stone products from the proposed measure.
Among the key points he’s expected to make are the lack of equivalent substitutes for many applications and the potential impacts of the measures on construction and housing costs in this country.
Brazil is the largest international supplier of stone to the United States, shipping $795 million to this country last year. Of that stone, 99.9% consists of semi-finished stone slabs used in fabrication distribution and installation activities.
Its primary uses are kitchen and bathroom countertops, wall and floor cladding and other residential and commercial applications.
Brazil’s submission to the USTR is also supported by key stakeholders across the U.S. natural stone supply chain, including the Natural Stone Institute and several large distributors.
“Brazilian natural stone does not compete with domestic U.S. production,” Cruz says. “On the contrary, it complements a supply chain that supports jobs, investments and economic activities across multiple states.”
By excluding this sector from the proposed measures, the economic interests of the United States will benefit by preserving the competitiveness of companies that depend on these materials while avoiding additional costs for consumers, Cruz adds.
