The Trump administration should consider imposing quotas on auto imports from Mexico and Canada as part of the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a group of House Democrats said in a letter Monday.
“In strategic sectors like auto, the parties should use tools like quotas to safeguard minimum levels of domestic production,” the lawmakers wrote. The letter, addressed to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, was signed by 69 of the 127 members of the Congressional Labor Caucus, which is led by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.).
The Trump administration earlier this year imposed 25 percent duties on autos and auto imports from Canada and Mexico, while agreeing in separate trade deals to 15 percent tariffs on auto imports from the European Union, Japan and South Korea.
Imposing quotas would add an additional layer of import protection and would likely be strongly resisted by the two North American trading partners, who until recently had duty-free access for their auto exports to the United States. It would also raise the question of whether the U.S. should impose quotas on auto imports from other countries.
