Paper Revolution.

68% of paper and paper packaging is recycled into new products, great to know for the 61% of U.S. consumers who prefer their news in print.

Paper recovery for recycling is a national success because of the commitment millions of Americans make each day to recycling at home, at work, or at school. Newspaper recycling is a big part of this overall success as nearly 70 percent of old newspapers are recycled into new newsprint, boxboard and other products.

Two Sides, a global resource to promote the sustainability of print and paper in North America and in five continents around the world, has created an ad that News Media Alliance members can use to inform readers about printed newspaper recycling efforts.

News Media Alliance members are provided the ad at no additional cost. You may download the PDF ad in quarter- and full-page sizes below.

Download the ad:

Click on the links below to download and run the ad.

Full-page color (PDF) (11.55″ x 21″)
Quarter-page color (PDF) (5.7″ x 10″)

Sources: American Forest and Paper Association, 2019.
Two Sides North America/ Toluna, 2017. An online survey of 2,132 U.S. adults.

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The post Letter to Canadian Newsprint Producers appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Media Contact:
Paul Boyle
paul@newsmediaalliance.org
571.366.1150

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2018

STOPP Statement on U.S. International Trade Commission’s Ruling to Reverse the Newsprint Tax

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Stop Tariffs on Printers & Publishers (STOPP), a coalition of printers, publishers, retailers, paper suppliers and distributors, today welcomed the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (ITC) decision to terminate duties currently being applied to uncoated groundwood paper, or newsprint, imports from Canada and issued the following statements:

“Today is a great day for American journalism. The ITC’s decision will help to preserve the vitality of local newspapers and prevent additional job losses in the printing and publishing sectors,” said David Chavern, president and CEO, News Media Alliance. “The end of these unwarranted tariffs means local newspapers can focus once again on playing a vital role in our democracy by keeping citizens informed and connected to the daily life of their communities.”

The U.S. Department of Commerce imposed anti-dumping and countervailing duties on uncoated groundwood paper made in Canada in response to a petition filed by North Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC), a paper mill located in Longview, Washington. Following an in-depth investigation, the ITC rejected NORPAC’s claim that it was facing injury from alleged unfair trade practices by Canada. The ITC’s ruling that U.S. newsprint producers were not materially harmed by subject imports from Canada effectively puts an end to protective tariffs that the Commerce Department imposed earlier this year and revised just this month.

“From the start, we knew this tax on newsprint would immediately harm commercial printing companies, book printers, service companies, equipment suppliers and ultimately, consumers,” said Michael Makin, president and CEO, Printing Industries of America. “After analyzing the facts, the ITC has issued the right decision to protect American jobs across the country. Small businesses that are part of the printing industry can breathe a sigh of relief.”

Newsprint used by U.S. newspapers and commercial printers consists of two-thirds of uncoated groundwood paper. The spike in the cost of paper prompted harm across the industry − and forced many local newspapers to scale back reporting and reduce the number of editions they publish. The tariffs also repressed demand by small businesses that use printed advertising inserts and flyers to reach customers.

In the face of the threat to 600,000 American jobs in the newspaper, retail, printing and publishing industries, a broad and diverse coalition pursued all available avenues to advocate that public officials help put an end to the tariffs, including a petition signed by more than 11,000 Americans from all 50 states. Roughly 150 Members of Congress expressed opposition to the tariffs with letters to key Administration officials, testimony delivered before the ITC, or co-sponsorship of legislation in the House and Senate. In addition, Both the Teamsters and the Communication Workers of America wrote letters opposing the tariffs, along with many others.

Learn more about STOPP’s campaign to #StoptheNewsprintTax here.

###

The STOPP Coalition is a group of associations representing printers, publishers, paper suppliers and distributors that represent mostly small businesses in local communities that employ more than 600,000 workers in the United States. We have joined together to fight proposed government tariffs on newsprint that have been initiated by petitions filed by a single newsprint mill, NORPAC, an outlier in the industry that is owned by a New York hedge fund, with no additional pulp or paper operations in the United States or globally. Information about the STOPP Coalition can be found at www.stopnewsprinttariffs.org.

The post STOPP Statement: ITC Ruling to Reverse the Newsprint Tax appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

We applaud the International Trade Commission (ITC) for today reaching a final, unanimous negative determination that Canadian imports of uncoated groundwood paper, which includes newsprint used by newspapers, do not cause material harm to the U.S. paper industry.

The Department of Commerce recently upheld the tariffs and, though they revised them to slightly lower levels (but still as high as 20 percent), the tariffs would have been unsustainable for newspapers and other printers and publishers.

Fortunately, our voice was heard at the ITC hearing last month, and they made the right call today in reversing these harmful tariffs.

Over the last several months, while the Department of Commerce and the ITC conducted their investigations into the trade case (brought by one paper mill, NORPAC), we have emphasized that the decades-long shift of news and information from print to digital platforms – not imports from Canada – is the cause of the decline in demand for newsprint.

Local papers provide essential coverage of local governments and community news and events. In many communities, the local paper is the only source of community news. Unfortunately, the damage to newspapers from preliminary tariffs imposed by the Department of Commerce since January has already been done. The tariffs have disrupted the newsprint market, increasing newsprint costs by nearly 30 percent and forcing many newspapers to reduce their print distribution and cut staff.

We hope today’s reversal of these newsprint tariffs will restore stability to the market and that publishers will see a full and quick recovery. Our democracy depends on it.

The post Statement: ITC Made the Right Call in Reversing Newsprint Tariffs appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

CEO Statement: Revision to Newsprint Tariffs Welcome, but Does Not Solve Underlying Problem

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced its affirmative final determination on countervailing duties (CVD) and antidumping duties (AD) on imports of uncoated groundwood paper from Canada, which includes newsprint used by newspapers and other members of the printing and publishing industries. Commerce’s determination revises the preliminary CVD and AD duties, which now range from 8.4 percent to 20.26 percent instead of 4.4 percent to 32 percent.

While we appreciate the hard work the Commerce Department has put into this investigation and that the margins have been reduced, we believe the final determination does not solve the underlying problem. These taxes on Canadian imports for newsprint, which have been collected during in the preliminary phase, have already caused job losses at newspapers across the country and resulted in less quality news and information being distributed in local communities.

Fortunately, this case is not closed with the Department of Commerce’s final determination. The International Trade Commission (ITC) can reverse these tariffs in its final determination at the conclusion of its investigation into whether imports have caused or threaten to cause material injury. The ITC vote is expected on August 29.

There is strong evidence before the ITC that it is the decades-long shift from print to digital — not pricing from Canada — that has financially challenged the U.S. newsprint industry. No one wins if these tariffs remain. These taxes will simply force newspapers and printers to cut their use of newsprint, harming the U.S. paper industry the tariffs are intended to protect. We encourage the ITC to reverse these tariffs before more damage is done to publishers, printers and paper suppliers.

For more information:

STOPP Press Release: Statement on U.S. Department of Commerce’s Final Newsprint Countervailing and Antidumping Decision (August 2, 2018)

Newsprint Tariff Issue Page

Op-Ed: Canadian Newsprint is Not the Enemy – Tariffs Are

Statement: We Will Fight Newsprint Tariffs

Press Release: Proposed Newsprint Tariffs Threaten Small-Town Newspapers 

STOPP (Stop Tariffs on Printers and Publishers) Coalition

The post Statement: Revision to Tariffs Doesn’t Solve Underlying Problem appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

The post ITC Reply Brief Regarding Canadian Newsprint Imports appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Run the Alliance and STOPP ads in your publications and encourage your readers to sign the Petition and stand up to protect their access to news, as well as jobs in their own community.

Click on the links below to download the ads via Dropbox.

STOPP Coalition Ad

“One v. Many”:

Full-page PDF (10 x 21)
Full-page EPS (10 x 21)

View other print and digital newsprint tariff ads from the STOPP Coalition and News Media Alliance.

The post Newsprint Tariff Print Ad: “One V. Many” appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Media Contact:
Paul Boyle
Senior VP, Public Policy
paul@newsmediaalliance.org
571.366.1150

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Reps. Noem and Crist Introduce “PRINT” Act in House to Protect Publishers and Printers from Harmful Tariffs

Arlington, Va. – Rep. Kristi Noem, R-SD and Charlie Crist (D-FL) yesterday introduced legislation to suspend tariffs on Canadian imports of uncoated groundwood paper which includes newsprint used by newspapers, book publishers, printers and direct mail companies.

The legislation, H.R. 6031 – “Protecting Rational Incentives in Newsprint Trade Act of 2018” or “PRINT Act” – would temporarily halt both the preliminary and any final duties while the Department of Commerce (Commerce) completes its study on the economic health of the printing and publishing industries. The study would, among other things, examine whether the tariffs would harm local news coverage, reduce employment in the publishing and printing industries, or harm local businesses that advertise in local newspapers.

The House bill is identical to S.2835 that was introduced by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) in May. At introduction, the House measure was supported by the following original co-sponsors: Representatives Bill Flores (R-TX), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Randy Weber (R-TX), Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Bruce Poliquin (R-ME), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Jason Smith (R-MO).

Many local newspapers and printers have experienced price increases and a disruption in supply since preliminary countervailing and antidumping duties were assessed earlier this year. They have warned policymakers that the import tariffs – as high as 32 percent – would jeopardize the viability of the industry and threatens the over 600,000 U.S. workers in publishing, printing and related industries. The tariffs are being sought by one mill, North Pacific Paper Company, that is owned by a New York-based private equity firm.

“When the use of trade remedies threatens the jobs of hundreds of thousands of American workers, it bears asking if the cure is worse than the disease,” said Rep. Kristi Noem. “Each additional day these import taxes remain in place poses a threat to daily newspapers, printers, and the many small businesses that supply equipment and services to the publishing industry. We need to stem this damage immediately and gain a complete understanding of whether Canadian imports of newsprint are unfairly subsidized or pose a serious threat to U.S. paper producers.”

“An unnecessary trade war with some of our closest partners is already having real, negative consequences for our economy and the newspaper industry in particular.  The Tampa Bay Times recently announced 50 employees would be laid off due to new tariffs – shrinking newsrooms at a time when thoughtful, credible reporting is needed most,” said Rep. Charlie Crist. “Newspapers are an integral part of our communities, employing our neighbors and keeping us informed. It’s encouraging to see bipartisan and bicameral support for protecting local news.”

The PRINT Act would:

1) require a study by Commerce on the economic wellbeing, health and vitality of the newsprint industry and the local newspaper publishing industry in the U.S.;
2) require a report from the Commerce Secretary to the President and Congress within 90 days that includes both the findings of the study and any recommendations the Secretary considers appropriate;
3) pause any affirmative determination by the DOC or ITC (U.S. International Trade Commission) until the President certifies that he has received the report and has concluded that such a determination is in the economic interest of the United States; and
4) halt the collection of cash deposits for uncoated groundwood imports currently under investigation at the Commerce Department until the President has made such certifications.

A final Commerce Department decision is expected on August 2. The ITC is conducting its final investigation in this case, which includes a public hearing on July 17, 2018. The Commission will reach a final determination in mid-September.

Because of the devastating impact of the tariffs on publishers, printers and other businesses, the legislation in the House and Senate has received widespread support from Stop Tariffs on Printing & Publishing (STOPP), a broad-based coalition representing the U.S. printing and publishing industries that was formed to fight these crippling tariffs.

Michael Makin, President & CEO, Printing Industries of America, stated, “The printing industry is constantly innovating and reinventing itself to stay competitive in the modern communications marketplace. Taxing our most essential raw material drags down the industry’s job creation, economic growth and future viability. PIA supports free and fair trade, but trade remedy laws are designed to help domestic industries – not to create an exponential number of domestic losers in the process. The PRINT Act is crucial to restoring a much-needed sense of sanity surrounding tariffs on uncoated groundwood paper.”

David Chavern, President & CEO, News Media Alliance, stated, “Publishers already face economic headwinds due to the migration of advertising from print to digital. We simply cannot absorb extra costs from import taxes. Newspapers will close or be forced to raise prices for readers and advertisers. We are already seeing some papers cut back on news distribution and cut jobs. These tariffs are killing jobs and high-quality news in local communities. We are grateful that Representatives Noem and Crist, and ten other House members, showed leadership and stepped up to protect small publishers in local communities across America.”

Susan Rowell, Publisher, Lancaster (SC) News and President, National Newspaper Association: “Good trade policy increases the job opportunities in America. Applying tariffs like a tax to industries simply to penalize struggling businesses does not enhance jobs. It takes opportunities away. On behalf of community newspapers, we believe the Department of Commerce must fully understand how irretrievable the damage to our publications and our towns would be if trade policy continues to force newsprint costs higher. If you want to silence a free press, take away the newsprint. That is what is happening now, and it is simply wrong. We applaud Representatives Noem and Crist for taking a bold step to protect newspapers.”

Alfredo Carbajal, President, American Society of News Editors: “ASNE thanks Representatives Noem and Crist for introducing the PRINT Act. The economic sting of the ongoing proceedings at the Department of Commerce and United States International Trade Commission is being felt by our members, some of whom will be laying off staff as newsprint costs increase. The impact of these layoffs may be permanent, even if the tariffs are reversed. Unfortunately, it is the public who will be impacted the most by these changes. The PRINT Act offers a reasonable solution, which prevents long-term impact on the public and press as the need for government action is assessed.”

Molly Willmott, President, Association of Alternative Newsmedia: “The Association of Alternative Newsmedia is proud to endorse the PRINT Act and thanks Representatives Noem and Crist for introducing this bill. Our members continue to serve their local communities via the distribution of print newspapers on a weekly basis. They are already being affected by increases in printing costs that have resulted from the proceedings initiated before the Department of Commerce. Unless action is taken now, there will be short and long-term effects on our members’ ability to inform their readers. The PRINT Act will help.”

Jim Fetherston, President, Book Manufacturers’ Institute: “Plain and simple, the tariffs and duties on uncoated groundwood paper are having a negative financial impact on American book manufacturers. Rather than protecting American jobs, they are having the opposite effect. Book publishers are moving production to China to avoid this extra cost. The BMI solidly supports the introduction of the PRINT Act.”

Mark J. Nuzzaco, Vice President, Government Affairs, Association for Print Technologies: “The Association for Print Technologies (APTechSM), formerly NPES, joins with its industry colleagues in endorsing the PRINT Act and commends the leadership of Representatives Noem and Crist. Support for free, fair trade along with the use of trade sanctions under U.S. law when necessary and appropriate are bedrock principles for APTech. But in this instance, the already-imposed countervailing and anti-dumping duties are misplaced and are harming a domestic industry rather than shielding it from unfair competition. The PRINT Act will provide a much-needed reprieve from the ongoing damage of these duties while all of the facts of the case are fully assessed.”

For more information about “Protecting Rational Incentives in Newsprint Trade Act of 2018,” click here.

###

The STOPP Coalition is a group of associations representing printers, publishers, paper suppliers and distributors that represent mostly small businesses in local communities that employ more than 600,000 workers in the United States. We have joined together to fight proposed government tariffs on newsprint that have been initiated by petitions filed by a single newsprint mill, NORPAC, an outlier in the industry that is owned by a New York hedge fund, with no additional pulp or paper operations in the United States or globally. Information about the STOPP Coalition can be found at www.stopnewsprinttariffs.org.

The post Reps. Noem and Crist Introduce “PRINT” Act in House appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

• The U.S. government recently imposed crippling new taxes on uncoated groundwood paper, the source of newsprint for newspapers, book publishers and other commercial printers. These unjustified taxes threaten American newspapers, printers, and the American pulp and paper industry, putting tens of thousands of jobs at risk and harming the small and rural communities across the country that rely on local, printed newspapers.
• The preliminary countervailing and antidumping duties range as high as 32 percent. These tariffs are being collected now at the border and as a result, newspapers and printers have experienced increases in production costs by roughly 30 percent.  Many newspapers are considering laying off workers and reducing the amount of news and information that is published.  Small market and rural newspapers are having a difficult time finding enough newsprint to continue operations altogether.
• These tariffs were sought by one small paper mill, Northern Pacific Company (NORPAC), which is owned by private equity firm, One Rock Capital Partners, which counts the Mitsubishi Corporation as a major partner. NORPAC’s complaint fails to demonstrate that the U.S. industry is being harmed by imports from Canada.
• First, about 90 percent of groundwood paper from Canada is delivered to the Midwest and Northeastern United States, not the northwest region served by NORPAC.
• Second, to the extent that NORPAC is experiencing declining sales, so is the rest of the industry because of the decades long shift from paper to digital. Throughout the industry, demand for newsprint in North America has declined by 75 percent since 2000.
• Despite the shift to digital, the distribution of print newspapers is critically important to small town and rural America where the newspaper keeps the community connected with one another, particularly with the absence of broadband. With price increases as high as 30 percent, some small market and rural newspapers may have to shut their doors. This will be damaging to local communities across the country – and also threatens our democracy.

The post How to Talk to Your Representatives About the PRINT Act appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Media Contact:
Paul Boyle
Senior VP, Public Policy
paul@newsmediaalliance.org
571.366.1150

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bipartisan Group of Ten Senators Introduces “PRINT” Act to Protect Publishers and Printers from Harmful Tariffs

Bill Would Suspend Newsprint Tariffs While Government Studies Effects on U.S. Industries

Arlington, Va. – Today, in an effort to protect printers and publishers from unwarranted tariffs, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) introduced S. 2835, the “Protecting Rational Incentives in Newsprint Trade Act of 2018,” or “PRINT Act.” Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) joined as original co-sponsors. 

The PRINT Act would suspend new tariffs currently being imposed on imported uncoated groundwood paper from Canada, which is the primary source of newsprint and other paper used by domestic newspapers, book publishers and commercial printers. Simultaneously, the legislation would require the Department of Commerce to review the economic health of the printing and publishing industries. Newspapers and printers across the United States have told Congress that the new import tariffs – as high as 32 percent – would jeopardize the viability of the industry and threaten to decimate the U.S. paper industry’s customer base.

Many local newspapers and printers that use uncoated groundwood paper have experienced price increases and a disruption in supply since preliminary countervailing and antidumping duties were assessed earlier this year. Even as the Commerce Department investigation is ongoing, the duties are already being collected on imports, causing immediate economic harm to printers and publishers. A final Commerce Department decision is expected on August 2.

The new PRINT Act legislation would pause both the preliminary and any final duties while the Department completes its study.

In introducing the legislation, Senator Collins stated, “The U.S. printing and publishing industry is facing an unprecedented threat from crippling new import tariffs imposed on Canadian uncoated groundwood paper — better known as ‘newsprint’ — which is used by newspapers, book publishers, and commercial printers. As a Senator representing one of our nation’s leading papermaking states, I have consistently fought for actions to ensure a level playing field for the domestic papermaking industry.  In this case, however, one domestic mill owned by a venture capital firm appears to be taking advantage of trade remedies to add to its own bottom line, putting thousands of American jobs at risk.  I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill to fully evaluate the economic impact of these tariffs before they harm our local newspapers and printing industries.”

“Throughout Maine, small town newspapers remain a principal source of information for people looking to read the news, learn about the goings-on in their communities, and stay up-to-date on current events,” Senator King said. “But new tariffs on uncoated groundwood paper could jeopardize this access to information and impact hundreds of thousands of American jobs in the U.S. newspaper business and paper manufacturing industry, which are already operating on razor-thin margins. I have consistently fought for stronger trade enforcement, especially when it involves protecting the domestic paper industry, and must take action to ensure the Department of Commerce hears the serious concerns of the domestic paper manufacturing industry. The PRINT Act would help us better understand the damaging consequences of the DOC’s decision to impose duties and help ensure local newspapers don’t bear an undue burden from these misguided tariffs, so people in Maine and in rural towns across America, can continue to receive their local news from hometown papers.”

Comments on the Introduction of the PRINT Act from Members of the Stop Tariffs on Printers and Publishers (STOPP) Coalition:

David Chavern, President & CEO, News Media Alliance
“Publishers already face economic headwinds due to the migration of advertising from print to digital. We simply cannot absorb extra costs from import taxes. Newspapers will close or be forced to raise prices for readers and advertisers. We are already seeing some papers cut back on news distribution and cut jobs. These tariffs are killing jobs and high-quality news in local communities. We are grateful that Senator King, Senator Collins and the original co-sponsors of the bill showed leadership and stepped up to protect small publishers in local communities across America.”

Susan Rowell, Publisher, Lancaster (SC) News and President, National Newspaper Association
“Good trade policy increases the job opportunities in America. Applying tariffs like a tax to industries simply to penalize struggling businesses does not enhance jobs. It takes opportunities away. On behalf of community newspapers, we believe the Department of Commerce must fully understand how irretrievable the damage to our publications and our towns would be if trade policy continues to force newsprint costs higher. If you want to silence a free press, take away the newsprint. That is what is happening now, and it is simply wrong. We applaud Senators Collins and King for taking a bold step to protect newspapers.”

Michael Makin, President & CEO, Printing Industries of America
“The printing industry is constantly innovating and reinventing itself to stay competitive in the modern communications marketplace. Taxing our most essential raw material drags down the industry’s job creation, economic growth and future viability. PIA supports free and fair trade, but trade remedy laws are designed to help domestic industries – not to create an exponential number of domestic losers in the process. The PRINT Act is crucial to restoring a much-needed sense of sanity surrounding tariffs on uncoated groundwood paper.”

Alfredo Carbajal, President, American Society of News Editors
“ASNE thanks Senators Susan Collins and Angus King for introducing the PRINT Act. The economic sting of the ongoing proceedings at the Department of Commerce and United States International Trade Commission is being felt by our members, some of whom will be laying off staff as newsprint costs increase. The impact of these layoffs may be permanent, even if the tariffs are reversed. Unfortunately, it is the public who will be impacted the most by these changes. The PRINT Act offers a reasonable solution, which prevents long-term impact on the public and press as the need for government action is assessed.”

Molly Willmott, President, Association of Alternative Newsmedia
“The Association of Alternative Newsmedia is proud to endorse the PRINT Act and thanks Senators Susan Collins and Angus King for introducing this bill. Our members continue to serve their local communities via the distribution of print newspapers on a weekly basis. They are already being affected by increases in printing costs that have resulted from the proceedings initiated before the Department of Commerce. Unless action is taken now, there will be short and long-term effects on our members’ ability to inform their readers. The PRINT Act will help.”

Jim Fetherston, President, Book Manufacturers’ Institute
“Plain and simple, the tariffs and duties on uncoated groundwood paper are having a negative financial impact on American book manufacturers. Rather than protecting American jobs, they are having the opposite effect. Book publishers are moving production to China to avoid this extra cost. The BMI solidly supports the introduction of the PRINT Act.”

Mark J. Nuzzaco, Vice President, Government Affairs, Association for Print Technologies
“The Association for Print Technologies (APTech^SM), formerly NPES, joins with its industry colleagues in endorsing the PRINT Act and commends the leadership of its sponsors, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King. Support for free, fair trade along with the use of trade sanctions under U.S. law when necessary and appropriate are bedrock principles for APTech. But in this instance, the already-imposed countervailing and anti-dumping duties are misplaced and are harming a domestic industry rather than shielding it from unfair competition. The PRINT Act will provide a much-needed reprieve from the ongoing damage of these duties while all of the facts of the case are fully assessed.”

Patrick Dorsey, President, Southern Newspaper Publishers Association (SNPA); Publisher, Herald-Tribune Media Group and Regional Vice President, Coastal Group, GateHouse Media
“We appreciate the leadership of Senator Collins and Senator King and the other co-sponsors of the bill for stepping up to protect American jobs and stop these damaging tariffs. They fully understand this action was caused by one outlier mill owned by a hedge fund and is not supported by the broader domestic newspaper producing industry. These unfair, job-killing import taxes are already taking a toll across the country as newspapers have had to eliminate jobs and take other significant cost-saving measures to maintain viable businesses. This is putting many community newspapers in jeopardy and further reducing their ability to keep our citizens informed on what is going on in their cities and towns. Ultimately, this is damaging to our representative democracy. The PRINT Act is a positive step in reversing these damaging impacts.” 

The PRINT Act seeks a further examination of the harm that these tariffs will have on our nation’s economy, local jobs and the distribution of news and information in local communities. Specifically, the PRINT Act would:

1) require a study by the DOC of the economic wellbeing, health and vitality of the newsprint industry and the local newspaper publishing industry in the U.S.;
2) require a report from the Commerce Secretary to the President and Congress within 90 days that includes both the findings of the study and any recommendations the Secretary considers appropriate;
3) pause any affirmative determination by the DOC or ITC (U.S. International Trade Commission) until the President certifies that he has received the report and has concluded that such a determination is in the economic interest of the United States; and
4) halt the collection of cash deposits for uncoated groundwood imports currently under investigation at the Commerce Department until the President has made such certifications.

Because of the devastating impact of the tariffs on publishers, printers and other businesses, the bill has received widespread support from Stop Tariffs on Printing & Publishing (STOPP), a broad-based coalition that was formed to fight these crippling tariffs and which represents more than 600,000 workers in the U.S. printing and publishing industries.

The ITC is conducting its final investigation in this case, which includes a public hearing on July 17, 2018. The Commission will reach a final determination in mid-September.

For more information about “Protecting Rational Incentives in Newsprint Trade Act of 2018,” click here.

###

The STOPP Coalition is a group of associations representing printers, publishers, paper suppliers and distributors that represent mostly small businesses in local communities that employ more than 600,000 workers in the United States. We have joined together to fight proposed government tariffs on newsprint that have been initiated by petitions filed by a single newsprint mill, NORPAC, an outlier in the industry that is owned by a New York hedge fund, with no additional pulp or paper operations in the United States or globally. Information about the STOPP Coalition can be found at www.stopnewsprinttariffs.org.

The post “PRINT” Act Introduced to Protect Publishers, Printers from Tariffs appeared first on News/Media Alliance.