Feingold Gets Commitment To Prioritize Harley-Davidson Trade Issue In Nomination Hearing

Press Release

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold asked the Obama administration's nominee to be Ambassador to India about what he will do to help lower Indian tariffs, which make exporting American-made products, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles, to India almost impossible. Tim Roemer, the former Indiana Congressman who is up for the ambassadorship, said opening up the Indian market would be a priority for him and the administration and that he looks forward to "possibly riding a motorcycle by Harley-Davidson in New Delhi someday." A full transcript of the exchange and links to an mp3 and a YouTube clip are below:

Feingold: As you know from our earlier meeting, I'm deeply concerned about a trade matter with respect to India and that's because I'm from the land of the Harley-Davidsons and we want to be able to sell those in India - Wisconsin of course is the home of Harley - but there's a sixty-percent tariff that India currently levies on certain imported motorcycles, including the premier motorcycle, Harley-Davidson. Harley has built motorcycles in Milwaukee for over a century and they see India as a promising export market but the enormous tariff makes it basically impossible for them to enter the market. Harley is not of course looking for special treatment, they want a level playing field. What steps will you take to prioritize this? And just, as I indicated to you, I've already raised this directly when in India last year, with a couple of the officials there. There is some reason to believe that this is something that could move so I'm wondering if you could comment on that.

Roemer: Well Senator, this would be a priority for both this administration and, if I'm confirmed, for me as an ambassador. I hail from Senator Lugar's state of Indiana where we have high unemployment, where we have manufacturing jobs that have bled out of our communities, where I believe that the role of an ambassador in promoting U.S. business fair and free access to new markets, to existing markets, is a key priority for the ambassador to take on. And so I think working with the Indians, to remove some of their barriers to trade, their tariffs on trade - that would be a priority. As I mentioned to Senator Lugar earlier, I think the possibility, the potential of bilateral trade agreement is out there, including the Doha round of trade to again balance fair and free trade in our country so that we have access to new markets and we can have jobs here that export products overseas. So Senator I look forward to hopefully being confirmed and maybe, possibly riding a motorcycle by Harley-Davidson in New Delhi someday.

Feingold: That will be well received both in New Delhi and in Milwaukee.

During a trip to India in 2008, Feingold pressed senior Indian government officials to lower the high tariffs, which prevent Harley-Davidson from a level playing field in India.

Source