releases: https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=485a5def-66b5-4edb-b030-23a38c451eb2
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=485a5def-66b5-4edb-b030-23a38c451eb2 | Portman Continues Push for Marietta Workers in Global Negotiations | 2013-12-05 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | OH | Rob Portman | P000449 | www.portman.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), former U.S. Trade Representative, continued his push for policies that would decrease unfair burdens on local workers, such as those employed by Marietta manufacturer Solvay Specialty Polymers, in the Information Technology Agreement negotiations. Portman and his staff have been working closely with Solvay Specialty Polymers of Marietta to lower tariff levels on a product compounded at their facility. These international negotiations aim to lower tariff levels on over 250 types of high tech and communications products. Solvay's Marietta facility employs nearly 300 workers. Solvay compounds a special material called Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCPs) that is used in a range of Information Technology products from smart phones to mobile computing devices. These materials have been key to developing more powerful and portable smart phones and tablets to support our growing digital economy. In order for global tariffs to be lowered on LCPs exported from Marietta, other countries must remove objections to its inclusion from their so-called Sensitivity Lists of products they seek to protect. Portman and has staff have worked closely with company officials and other foreign Embassies on this process, and are pleased that LCPs are now on the consensus negotiating list after countries such as China and Colombia have removed their initial objections to lowering tariffs on the product. Objections - mostly from China - persist on a wide range of other technology products. Those Chinese objections forced U.S. trade negotiators to temporarily suspend the broader negotiations. Nonetheless, Portman is pleased that some of the hurdles for Marietta's LCPs have been cleared, which will be helpful when the negotiations resume. “While global negotiations are never easy, I am pleased that real progress has been made for Ohio manufacturers such as Solvay in Marietta, said Portman. "Bringing down tariff barriers on American exports will help support jobs here in Southeast Ohio, which is good news for our economy. I will continue to push for Ohio companies like Solvay as these negotiations continue.” “We are very grateful to Senator Portman and his staff for the terrific job they have done. Eliminating global tariffs on the LCPs we produce in Ohio and export to Asia and Europe will help us stay competitive in this fast-growing market,” said Solvay Senior Vice President Tom Wood. U.S. negotiators are trying to reach consensus to update the original ITA agreement in 1996 brought down tariffs on a range of technology products and brought about vast innovation. The Washington, DC-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation estimates that these negotiations could boost global information and communication technology trade by over $800 billion, increasing U.S. exports by $2.8 billion and creating up to 60,000 American jobs. Portman wrote about these negotiations in an op-ed in the Marietta Times in July, which can be read here. Portman also pushed the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to prioritize these negotiations, particularly on the product important to Solvay in Marietta, through a written inquiry in conjunction with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman's confirmation in June. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |