Sander Levin: “APAC has been an important catalyst in organizing a diverse auto parts industry that includes over 5,000 U.S.- owned…”

“APAC has been an important catalyst in organizing a diverse auto parts industry that includes over 5,000 U.S.- owned companies, many of them small businesses, and directly employing over 700,000 people. This has led to a more unified industry able to make important contributions to the trade debate. APAC has also made significant contributions to the wealth of knowledge of our U.S. negotiations and bolstered the U.S. negotiating position on auto parts. APAC's contributions to the process in the 5 years since the enactment of the Fair Trade in Auto Parts Act include American Government and industry conducted studies on the competitiveness of the United States auto parts industry and of the barriers to trade faced in selling to Japan. APAC has also issued a number of reports and recommendations to the Commerce Department on what steps must be taken to open Japan's markets to United States auto parts. Both the auto parts industry and the administration strongly support a swift extension of APAC so that it can continue to contribute to the ongoing United States-Japan auto parts negotiations.”