📋 Tender Overview
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth detailing her concerns about the impact of President Trumps trade war on Americas national defense and military readiness. Specifically, Shaheen expressed how the administrations announced tariffs on imports from virtually every country in the world will increase prices for the U.S. Department of Defenses (DOD) defense acquisitions - harming DODs purchasing power, weakening supply chains and raising costs on small businesses. Shaheen called on Secretary Hegseth to explain how DOD is addressing the threats to military readiness and preventing cost overruns no later than April 30.
Senator Shaheen wrote, in part: In the short term, the announced tariffs alone will increase costs for U.S. defense industrial supply chain companies. [...] In the long term, tariffs will drive up DODs contracting and procurement costs, limit DOD buying power and ultimately harm the warfighter and our military readiness.
She continued: Additionally, we are concerned about DODs ability to secure its own supply chains and fully assess how much of its industrial base is foreign-sourced. [...] With the globalization of supply chains, these suppliers and their goods come from a wide array of places. Some foundational industrial supply chain sectors, like optical instruments, mechanical gears, welding equipment and printed circuit boards source a large part of their components from outside North America.
Senator Shaheen concluded: I request answers to the following questions no later than April 30, 2025: 1.) What critical imported supplies are currently subject to new tariffs this year? 2.) How do you calculate the monetary impact of tariffs on DOD contracts? 3.) How is DOD factoring increased costs due to tariffs into fixed-price contracts? 4.) What is the impact of increased costs due to tariffs on DODs purchasing power? 5.) Can DOD defense industrial base contractors continue to use Chapter 98 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to purchase critical materials without duties under all tariff actions this year? If not, which actions does this apply to?
The full text of the letter can be found and below.
Senator Shaheen is helping in Congress to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trumps tariffs. Earlier this month, to highlight the devastating impacts that President Trumps tariffs and trade war will have on American families and the economy. In January, Shaheen introduced the which would limit the presidents ability to leverage sweeping tariffs that increase costs for American consumers and families. Her effort to pass this bill by unanimous consent by Senate Republicans. In recent months, Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to visit businesses including , , and to hear directly from Granite Staters impacted by the administrations tariffs.
###
