In December 2020, EBI, ICOMIA and NMMA sent a joint letter to President-elect Joe Biden, urging the new administration to remove the steel and aluminium tariffs introduced by the previous US government, which had spurred retaliatory action from the EU and which had impacted the recreational boating industry. The letter congratulated the President-Elect on his election, while highlighting the key issues for the recreational boating industry in trade policy: the importance of EU-US trade in the industry, the importance of SMEs, and the need to remove the steel and aluminium tariffs, which would lead to the removal of the EU’s retaliatory tariffs.

The letter also addressed future perspectives on how to facilitate trade, such as through reducing technical barriers to trade, regulatory conformity, standards harmonisation and mutual recognition.

As previously reported, the European Commission expects the new US Administration to remove the steel and aluminium tariffs. This will also lead to the EU removing its retaliatory tariffs (including on US boats).