Thornberry signs on to co-sponsor PRINT Act

US Rep. Mac Thornberry’s office announced Tuesday morning that he is signing on as a co-sponsor of HB 6031, the Protecting Rational Incentives in Newsprint Trade Act of 2018 also known as the PRINT Act.

The proposed legislation would suspend tariffs on Canadian imports of uncoated groundwood paper which includes newsprint used by newspapers, book publishers, printers and direct mail companies. The tariffs introduced earlier this year have negatively impacted many community newspapers in Texas and around the nation.

Thornberry (R-Clarendon) joins more than 30 other members of the House of Representatives in co-sponsoring the PRINT Act, which was originally introduced by Rep. Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) and Charlie Crist (D-Florida).

Clarendon Enterprise publisher and Texas Press Association board member Roger Estlack praised Thornberry’s action this week.

“We appreciate Mac Thornberry for standing up for community newspapers by signing on to the PRINT Act,” Estlack said. “He had already stepped up by sending a letter to the Commerce Department on this issue, but this week’s action goes further in support of a common sense solution to this problem.”

According to the News Media Alliance, the legislation would temporarily halt both the preliminary and any final duties while the Department of Commerce (Commerce) completes its study on the economic health of the printing and publishing industries. The study would, among other things, examine whether the tariffs would harm local news coverage, reduce employment in the publishing and printing industries, or harm local businesses that advertise in local newspapers.

Many local newspapers and printers have experienced price increases and a disruption in supply since preliminary countervailing and antidumping duties were assessed earlier this year. They have warned policymakers that the import tariffs – as high as 32 percent – would jeopardize the viability of the industry and threatens the over 600,000 US workers in publishing, printing and related industries. The tariffs are sought by one mill, North Pacific Paper Company, that is owned by a New York-based private equity firm.

“When the use of trade remedies threatens the jobs of hundreds of thousands of American workers, it bears asking if the cure is worse than the disease,” said Rep. Kristi Noem. “Each additional day these import taxes remain in place poses a threat to daily newspapers, printers, and the many small businesses that supply equipment and services to the publishing industry. We need to stem this damage immediately and gain a complete understanding of whether Canadian imports of newsprint are unfairly subsidized or pose a serious threat to U.S. paper producers.”

“An unnecessary trade war with some of our closest partners is already having real, negative consequences for our economy and the newspaper industry in particular. The Tampa Bay Times recently announced 50 employees would be laid off due to new tariffs – shrinking newsrooms at a time when thoughtful, credible reporting is needed most,” said Rep. Charlie Crist. “Newspapers are an integral part of our communities, employing our neighbors and keeping us informed. It’s encouraging to see bipartisan and bicameral support for protecting local news.”

The PRINT Act would:

• Require a study by Commerce on the economic wellbeing, health and vitality of the newsprint industry and the local newspaper publishing industry in the U.S.;
• Require a report from the Commerce Secretary to the President and Congress within 90 days that includes both the findings of the study and any recommendations the Secretary considers appropriate;
• Pause any affirmative determination by the DOC or ITC (U.S. International Trade Commission) until the President certifies that he has received the report and has concluded that such a determination is in the economic interest of the United States; and
• Halt the collection of cash deposits for uncoated groundwood imports currently under investigation at the Commerce Department until the President has made such certifications.

A final Commerce Department decision is expected on August 2. The ITC is conducting its final investigation in this case, which included a public hearing on July 17, 2018, at which 19 members of Congress testified against the duties. The Commission will reach a final determination in mid-September.