{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-congressional-delegation-stands-sanford-rug-manufacturer-trade", "Maine Congressional Delegation Stands Up for Sanford Rug Manufacturer in Trade Appeal", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Bruce Poliquin announced today that they have sent a letter to the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board in support of Maine manufacturer Flemish Master Weavers\u2019 (FMW) trade appeal.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tThe Sanford-based rug manufacturer has applied to the FTZ Board for production authority status that would exempt them from certain tariffs. Currently, textile tariffs that are designed to protect American manufacturers like FMW are actually putting the company at a disadvantage and stifling growth.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u201cA strong manufacturing industry is essential to Maine\u2019s future, and securing fair trade regulations for Maine-based companies is of critical importance to our communities and economy,\u201d wrote the Maine Congressional Delegation in their letter. \u201cFlemish Master Weavers employs 127 people in Sanford, Maine, and is one of Southern Maine\u2019s largest manufacturing employers. [\u2026] Approval of the FTZ application would not only increase competitiveness, but set the company on a track to expand operations.\u201d  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tFlemish Master Weavers manufactures machine-made woven area rugs, and as the smallest of only four such producers in the United States, faces competition from foreign manufacturers who increasingly dominate the area rug market here at home. In order to remain competitive, FMW imports yarn that carries an eight-percent U.S. tariff. Despite being designed to protect U.S. businesses, that tariff is actually putting FMW at a competitive disadvantage against the foreign competitors who enjoy duty-free access to the U.S. for the area rugs they manufacture abroad with identical yarn.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tIf the Foreign-Trade Zones Board approves FMW\u2019s application for production authority status, the company would be able to avoid the eight-percent yarn tariff. That would increase FMW\u2019s competiveness and potentially set the company on a course to expand operations.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tFlemish Master Weavers is based in Sanford and employs 127 people. One of Southern Maine\u2019s largest manufacturing employers, FMW has eleven high-speed looms and fully-automated packing and finishing operations. If granted production authority status, the company has indicated that it could potentially increase employment to 170 jobs as part of a 72,000 square foot building expansion.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tThe foreign-trade zones (FTZs) program was authorized by Congress in 1934 and is used to support U.S. companies in competition with foreign alternatives by allowing delayed or reduced duty payments on foreign merchandise, as well as other savings. The Foreign-Trade Zones Board licenses designated sites as FTZs.  \n\t\u00a0  Text of the letter is below  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t+++  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tNovember 30, 2016  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tMr. Andrew McGilvray  \n\tExecutive Secretary  \n\tForeign-Trade Zone Board  \n\tU.S. Department of Commerce  \n\t1401 Constitution Ave., NW Room 21013  \n\tWashington, DC 20230  \n\t\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tDear Mr. McGilvray:  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tWe write to express our support for Flemish Master Weavers\u2019 (FMW) recent appeal to the Foreign Trade Zone Board for production authority to manufacture area rugs at FTZ 186, subzone 186A. \u00a0A strong manufacturing industry is essential to Maine\u2019s future, and securing fair trade regulations for Maine-based companies is of critical importance to our communities and economy.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tFlemish Master Weavers is a Maine manufacturer of machine-made woven area rugs and is the smallest of four such producers in the United States. \u00a0The company competes for market share with foreign manufacturers who increasingly dominate the domestic area rug market. \u00a0To remain competitive, FMW imports continuous filament polypropylene yarn, a material carrying a U.S. tariff of eight percent. \u00a0Despite efforts to adjust to a changing market, FMW still faces an uphill battle as foreign area rug competitors enjoy duty-free access to the United States for area rugs made in foreign factories with identical yarn. \u00a0In other words, foreign rugs with the same yarn come in with no U.S. tariff, while FMW\u2019s ability to make the rugs in America is stymied by a U.S. tariff on yarn imports. \u00a0The end result is that American jobs are, ironically, threatened by a tariff designed to protect them. Inverted tariff relief through production authority is needed to ensure that U.S. tariff policy is not putting FMW at a disadvantage relative to foreign area rug producers.  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tFlemish Master Weavers employs 127 people in Sanford, Maine, and is one of Southern Maine\u2019s largest manufacturing employers. With 11 high speed looms, fully automated packing, and finishing operations, FMW provides meaningful employment to its workers in Maine, helping them to maintain and improve their financial stability. Approval of the FTZ application would not only increase competitiveness, but set the company on a track to expand operations. The company has stated its interest in a 72,000 square foot building expansion and the addition of two new looms and four replacement looms, which could potentially increase employment from 127 to 170 jobs.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maine-congressional-delegation-stands-sanford-rug-manufacturer-trade"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9740241803228855, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}