Outdoor Recreation Roundtable offered strong support for the nomination of Gov. Gina Raimondo to be the next Secretary of Commerce in a letter to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee.
The letter outlines key issues important to the outdoor industry that the Department of Commerce oversees, including the Bureau of Economic Analysis which is responsible for evaluating the outdoor recreation economy via the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account. This analysis has been an important indicator of the strength of the outdoor recreation industry and the impact that outdoor recreation has on jobs and the economy. Additionally, the Department’s International Trade Commission provides critical data, analysis, and input to the U.S. Trade Representative regarding Section 232 and Section 301 tariff issues. Tariffs imposed under the prior administration have impacted recreational products including powersports, marine manufacturers, safety gear, recreation clothing, and stymied export growth due to retaliatory countermeasures imposed by other countries on American exports, the organization said.