WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition (CITAC) Counsel Lewis E. Leibowitz urged the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board yesterday to "consider the important role that foreign trade zones policy can play in preserving global competitiveness in the U.S." The hearing was convened to consider applications by Dow Corning Corporation and REC Silicon to import silicon into a U.S. foreign trade subzone for manufacture into value-added, downstream goods for export.

In his testimony, Mr. Leibowitz, a partner at the Washington-based law firm of Hogan & Hartson, emphasized the interests of U.S. consuming industries striving to stay competitive in the global marketplace. "It is especially important right now for the Board to consider the interests of all Americans, with unemployment approaching 10 percent and America`s small businesses suffering from pressures unseen since the end of World War II. Small businesses and other consuming industries employ collectively many times the number of workers of large basic industries," he testified. "We need those jobs, and we can`t afford to lose them right now."

FTZs permit the use of imported raw materials for production within specially designated areas within the United States for the manufacture of products for shipment into the United States or for export. If those goods are instead sold directly into the stream of commerce within the United States, they are then subject to regular Customs duties, as well as antidumping and countervailing duties.

The FTZ Board`s regulations "balance the interests of all affected stakeholders; they allow U.S. exporters to keep competing in global markets and to keep creating good manufacturing jobs," Leibowitz testified. "If antidumping and countervailing duties are applied to these exports, U.S. exports made with those inputs would be uncompetitive and therefore would not sell. This result will do nothing to promote U.S. manufacturing or U.S. jobs. In fact, it would have the opposite effect."

For additional information, visit www.citac.info or contact George Felcyn at (202) 828-1715 or george.felcyn@bgllp.com.