By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA and many SEMA-member companies joined the Americans for Free Trade (AFT) coalition in urging President Trump to provide relief to struggling U.S. companies by delaying the current collection of import duties and fees. More than 470 businesses and trade associations signed a letter urging the Administration to defer duty collections through June.

In March, the AFT coalition asked the Administration to temporarily suspend the collection of duties during the COVID-19 crisis, including the Section 232 and 301 tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum and products from China. The Administration rejected the request.

In mid-April, President Trump issued an Executive Order allowing the temporary deferral of certain duties, taxes and fees made in March and April. The Order does not apply to the Section 232 and 301 tariffs. While the action may free-up cash for companies struggling under COVID-19 burdens, it is a temporary deferral rather than a suspension of collections. Further, the deferral is not automatic. The importer must demonstrate a significant financial hardship to qualify.  

The AFT coalition has now requested that President Trump expand the Executive Order to automatically defer collections on all duties (including Section 232 and 301 tariffs) made from the first half of March through the end of June. The action is needed to help mitigate the economic harm caused by COVID-19 and provide financial liquidity to companies during this crisis.

“Under the Executive Order, the collection of certain duties for 90 days was a good first step, but many companies were excluded from this measure and will still owe significant duties to the federal government during a time of economic crisis,” said Americans for Free Trade spokesperson Jonathan Gold. “As hundreds of small and large businesses face urgent liquidity issues, we are calling on President Trump to go further and delay all duty payments to help give companies the cash they need to stay open, preserve American jobs and be in a position of strength when the economy reopens.”

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA and many SEMA-member companies joined the Americans for Free Trade (AFT) coalition in urging President Trump to provide relief to struggling U.S. companies by delaying the current collection of import duties and fees. More than 470 businesses and trade associations signed a letter urging the Administration to defer duty collections through June.

In March, the AFT coalition asked the Administration to temporarily suspend the collection of duties during the COVID-19 crisis, including the Section 232 and 301 tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum and products from China. The Administration rejected the request.

In mid-April, President Trump issued an Executive Order allowing the temporary deferral of certain duties, taxes and fees made in March and April. The Order does not apply to the Section 232 and 301 tariffs. While the action may free-up cash for companies struggling under COVID-19 burdens, it is a temporary deferral rather than a suspension of collections. Further, the deferral is not automatic. The importer must demonstrate a significant financial hardship to qualify.  

The AFT coalition has now requested that President Trump expand the Executive Order to automatically defer collections on all duties (including Section 232 and 301 tariffs) made from the first half of March through the end of June. The action is needed to help mitigate the economic harm caused by COVID-19 and provide financial liquidity to companies during this crisis.

“Under the Executive Order, the collection of certain duties for 90 days was a good first step, but many companies were excluded from this measure and will still owe significant duties to the federal government during a time of economic crisis,” said Americans for Free Trade spokesperson Jonathan Gold. “As hundreds of small and large businesses face urgent liquidity issues, we are calling on President Trump to go further and delay all duty payments to help give companies the cash they need to stay open, preserve American jobs and be in a position of strength when the economy reopens.”

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA and many SEMA-member companies joined the Americans for Free Trade (AFT) coalition in urging President Trump to provide relief to struggling U.S. companies by delaying the current collection of import duties and fees. More than 470 businesses and trade associations signed a letter urging the Administration to defer duty collections through June.

In March, the AFT coalition asked the Administration to temporarily suspend the collection of duties during the COVID-19 crisis, including the Section 232 and 301 tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum and products from China. The Administration rejected the request.

In mid-April, President Trump issued an Executive Order allowing the temporary deferral of certain duties, taxes and fees made in March and April. The Order does not apply to the Section 232 and 301 tariffs. While the action may free-up cash for companies struggling under COVID-19 burdens, it is a temporary deferral rather than a suspension of collections. Further, the deferral is not automatic. The importer must demonstrate a significant financial hardship to qualify.  

The AFT coalition has now requested that President Trump expand the Executive Order to automatically defer collections on all duties (including Section 232 and 301 tariffs) made from the first half of March through the end of June. The action is needed to help mitigate the economic harm caused by COVID-19 and provide financial liquidity to companies during this crisis.

“Under the Executive Order, the collection of certain duties for 90 days was a good first step, but many companies were excluded from this measure and will still owe significant duties to the federal government during a time of economic crisis,” said Americans for Free Trade spokesperson Jonathan Gold. “As hundreds of small and large businesses face urgent liquidity issues, we are calling on President Trump to go further and delay all duty payments to help give companies the cash they need to stay open, preserve American jobs and be in a position of strength when the economy reopens.”

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA and 30 other national associations that comprise the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) are calling on the U.S. Congress to pass S. 3422, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), a bill that is critically important to revitalizing America’s outdoor recreation industry. The GAOA would dedicate $9.5 billion over five years to address the maintenance backlog on federally owned lands by creating a national parks and public land legacy restoration fund. The bill would also appropriate $900 million annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The legislation is critical to addressing the infrastructure needs facing our public lands and waters, such as improving trails, roads, docks, campgrounds and more.

The GAOA would allocate $1.9-billion-per-year for fiscal years 2021–2025 for maintenance backlog on public lands. The bill would also fully fund the LWCF and allocate 70% of the funds to the National Park Service, 10% to the Forest Service, 10% to the Fish and Wildlife Service, 5% to the Bureau of Land Management and 5% to the Bureau of Indian Education.

ORR is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations that represent over 100,000 businesses. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the outdoor recreation industry generated $778 billion in output, accounted for 2.2% of GDP, supported 5.2 million jobs and was growing faster than the economy as a whole in every indicator.  

Addressing the infrastructure needs of our public lands will create jobs, revitalize communities, and provide Americans with access to open spaces. SEMA members welcome the opportunity to help achieve these goals especially when it comes to providing motorized recreation (four-wheel, ATVs and UTVs) and all the equipment that makes it possible to tow trailers, boats and off-road vehicles (suspension, wheels, tires, performance accessories, etc.). ORR is urging lawmakers to consider passage of the GAOA this summer.

ORR is also working with the U.S. Department of Interior, the U.S. Forest Service and state agencies to underscore the importance of reopening lands for recreation while maintaining social distancing. The group is recommending ways that recreation sites can re-open with reasonable modifications, such as opening trails while keeping visitor centers closed.  

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA and 30 other national associations that comprise the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) are calling on the U.S. Congress to pass S. 3422, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), a bill that is critically important to revitalizing America’s outdoor recreation industry. The GAOA would dedicate $9.5 billion over five years to address the maintenance backlog on federally owned lands by creating a national parks and public land legacy restoration fund. The bill would also appropriate $900 million annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The legislation is critical to addressing the infrastructure needs facing our public lands and waters, such as improving trails, roads, docks, campgrounds and more.

The GAOA would allocate $1.9-billion-per-year for fiscal years 2021–2025 for maintenance backlog on public lands. The bill would also fully fund the LWCF and allocate 70% of the funds to the National Park Service, 10% to the Forest Service, 10% to the Fish and Wildlife Service, 5% to the Bureau of Land Management and 5% to the Bureau of Indian Education.

ORR is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations that represent over 100,000 businesses. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the outdoor recreation industry generated $778 billion in output, accounted for 2.2% of GDP, supported 5.2 million jobs and was growing faster than the economy as a whole in every indicator.  

Addressing the infrastructure needs of our public lands will create jobs, revitalize communities, and provide Americans with access to open spaces. SEMA members welcome the opportunity to help achieve these goals especially when it comes to providing motorized recreation (four-wheel, ATVs and UTVs) and all the equipment that makes it possible to tow trailers, boats and off-road vehicles (suspension, wheels, tires, performance accessories, etc.). ORR is urging lawmakers to consider passage of the GAOA this summer.

ORR is also working with the U.S. Department of Interior, the U.S. Forest Service and state agencies to underscore the importance of reopening lands for recreation while maintaining social distancing. The group is recommending ways that recreation sites can re-open with reasonable modifications, such as opening trails while keeping visitor centers closed.  

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA and 30 other national associations that comprise the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) are calling on the U.S. Congress to pass S. 3422, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), a bill that is critically important to revitalizing America’s outdoor recreation industry. The GAOA would dedicate $9.5 billion over five years to address the maintenance backlog on federally owned lands by creating a national parks and public land legacy restoration fund. The bill would also appropriate $900 million annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The legislation is critical to addressing the infrastructure needs facing our public lands and waters, such as improving trails, roads, docks, campgrounds and more.

The GAOA would allocate $1.9-billion-per-year for fiscal years 2021–2025 for maintenance backlog on public lands. The bill would also fully fund the LWCF and allocate 70% of the funds to the National Park Service, 10% to the Forest Service, 10% to the Fish and Wildlife Service, 5% to the Bureau of Land Management and 5% to the Bureau of Indian Education.

ORR is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations that represent over 100,000 businesses. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the outdoor recreation industry generated $778 billion in output, accounted for 2.2% of GDP, supported 5.2 million jobs and was growing faster than the economy as a whole in every indicator.  

Addressing the infrastructure needs of our public lands will create jobs, revitalize communities, and provide Americans with access to open spaces. SEMA members welcome the opportunity to help achieve these goals especially when it comes to providing motorized recreation (four-wheel, ATVs and UTVs) and all the equipment that makes it possible to tow trailers, boats and off-road vehicles (suspension, wheels, tires, performance accessories, etc.). ORR is urging lawmakers to consider passage of the GAOA this summer.

ORR is also working with the U.S. Department of Interior, the U.S. Forest Service and state agencies to underscore the importance of reopening lands for recreation while maintaining social distancing. The group is recommending ways that recreation sites can re-open with reasonable modifications, such as opening trails while keeping visitor centers closed.  

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act into law on April 24, 2020, which provided $320 billion in additional funds to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and $60 billion to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. SEMA-member companies looking to apply for the PPP loan should contact a bank where they have an existing relationship immediately, as strong demand for the loans is expected to exhaust the additional funding for the program next week. For more details, visit the SBA’s PPP page, which includes the application form and frequently asked questions.

The SBA is not accepting additional EIDL applications at the time of SEMA eNews publication, as the agency anticipates that a backlog of applications will exhaust the additional $60 billion in program funding. SEMA is urging lawmakers to add more money to both the EIDL and PPP programs.

The PPP provides loan guarantees for small businesses that equal up to 250% of a company’s monthly payroll (capped at $10 million). The SBA will forgive that portion of the PPP loan used to cover payroll, mortgage interest, rent payments and the cost of utilities for the first eight weeks if small businesses retain their employees and payroll levels. Under the EIDL program, a loan of up to $2 million at 3.75% may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll and other bills, with the first $10,000 being a forgivable grant.

For more information on PPP, EIDL and other federal programs related to COVID-19, check out SEMA’s resources at www.sema.org/coronavirus.

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act into law on April 24, 2020, which provided $320 billion in additional funds to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and $60 billion to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. SEMA-member companies looking to apply for the PPP loan should contact a bank where they have an existing relationship immediately, as strong demand for the loans is expected to exhaust the additional funding for the program next week. For more details, visit the SBA’s PPP page, which includes the application form and frequently asked questions.

The SBA is not accepting additional EIDL applications at the time of SEMA eNews publication, as the agency anticipates that a backlog of applications will exhaust the additional $60 billion in program funding. SEMA is urging lawmakers to add more money to both the EIDL and PPP programs.

The PPP provides loan guarantees for small businesses that equal up to 250% of a company’s monthly payroll (capped at $10 million). The SBA will forgive that portion of the PPP loan used to cover payroll, mortgage interest, rent payments and the cost of utilities for the first eight weeks if small businesses retain their employees and payroll levels. Under the EIDL program, a loan of up to $2 million at 3.75% may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll and other bills, with the first $10,000 being a forgivable grant.

For more information on PPP, EIDL and other federal programs related to COVID-19, check out SEMA’s resources at www.sema.org/coronavirus.

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act into law on April 24, 2020, which provided $320 billion in additional funds to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and $60 billion to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. SEMA-member companies looking to apply for the PPP loan should contact a bank where they have an existing relationship immediately, as strong demand for the loans is expected to exhaust the additional funding for the program next week. For more details, visit the SBA’s PPP page, which includes the application form and frequently asked questions.

The SBA is not accepting additional EIDL applications at the time of SEMA eNews publication, as the agency anticipates that a backlog of applications will exhaust the additional $60 billion in program funding. SEMA is urging lawmakers to add more money to both the EIDL and PPP programs.

The PPP provides loan guarantees for small businesses that equal up to 250% of a company’s monthly payroll (capped at $10 million). The SBA will forgive that portion of the PPP loan used to cover payroll, mortgage interest, rent payments and the cost of utilities for the first eight weeks if small businesses retain their employees and payroll levels. Under the EIDL program, a loan of up to $2 million at 3.75% may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll and other bills, with the first $10,000 being a forgivable grant.

For more information on PPP, EIDL and other federal programs related to COVID-19, check out SEMA’s resources at www.sema.org/coronavirus.

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

Tom Gattuso

ClassicCars.com Journal Managing Editor Tom Stahler talks about the upcoming 2020 SEMA Show with SEMA Vice President of Events Tom Gattuso. As close to 2,000 companies prepare to pick booth space May 4–20, Gattuso talks about what we know now and how things are progressing. 

“We’re all systems go, and we're not anticipating having to change that,” Gattuso reports.

Check out the full interview. (Click on “Season One Episode 7: Tom Gattuso—Will SEMA Happen?”).

For more information on Priority Space Allocation for the 2020 SEMA Show, a proxy form is located on the SEMA Show website.

The 2020 SEMA Show is scheduled for Tuesday–Friday, November 3–6, in Las Vegas. To reserve a booth space, visit www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.