Tariffs to Cost Telecom Equipment Industry Hundreds of Millions, Says TIA

Arlington, VA (September 17, 2018) – This evening, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office released a finalized list of products subject to Section 301 tariffs of 10% effective September 24, 2018, with rates set to rise to 25% by 2019. These tariffs will impact a broad range of communications equipment, with the financial damage expected to reach hundreds of millions of dollars for the telecom equipment industry in the United States.

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech communications networks; in response to this announcement TIA’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Cinnamon Rogers said:

“The tariffs imposed tonight by the Administration will undermine the American adoption of strategic technologies including 5G, exacting long-term economic costs and hurting U.S. strategic competitiveness. The finalized tariffs target equipment essential for next-generation telecom technology that will enable network-based innovations like Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things. Taxing the network equipment used to deliver these services and devices will handicap America amid a global race for technology leadership.

“Tariffs will also hurt consumers by making it more expensive to deploy broadband, thereby impeding efforts to narrow the digital divide and exacerbating inequities in internet access. The bottom line is that the costs of these tariffs will be borne by consumers and companies in the United States – not China.

“We urge the administration not to proceed with this highly counter-productive and economically harmful action.”

Contact

Ashley Simmons, 202-341-9508, asimmons@tiaonline.org

About TIA

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents a global community of more than 400-member companies including manufacturers and suppliers, carriers and service providers, software developers, distributors and integrators of communications technologies. TIA drives advancement in global connectivity and innovation through its leadership in U.S. and international advocacy, technology programs and standards development, quality assurance and business performance solutions, and industry research.