Bipartisan group of legislators go to bat for local journalism at newsprint International Trade Commission tariff hearing - Entrepreneur Generations

At yesterday's U.S. International Trade Commission hearing, a bipartisan group of nineteen legislators said the Commerce Department's tariffs on Canadian newsprint are hurting local newspapers. "The tariffs already substantially increase the cost of newsprint, leading newspapers to shrink the size of their pages and plan for job cuts in response, the lawmakers said. The tariffs would hasten the decline of local news, they said, harming journalists and communities served by small local publications rather than major newspapers," Jeff Cirillo reports for Roll Call.

The Commerce Department imposed the tariffs in March after the North Pacific Paper Company complained that Canadian manufacturers were hurting its business by selling newsprint at lower prices. North Pacific, a company in Washington state with a single paper mill, was recently purchased by a New York hedge fund. At the hearing, a North Pacific representative said the tariffs have allowed paper mills to increase production and re-hire American workers.

"Speakers against the tariffs included House Republican Conference chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Alaska and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania," Cirillo reports. "The group comprised 13 Republicans, five Democrats and independent Maine Sen. Angus King."

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2NriE0Y Bipartisan group of legislators go to bat for local journalism at newsprint International Trade Commission tariff hearing - Entrepreneur Generations

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