Report on Nicaragua and PCA’s Response

The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) is actively working on addressing the situation involving this week’s “Report on Nicaragua’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Labor Rights, Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the Rule of Law” issued by the United States Trade Representative.

This remains a sensitive and active discussion in which the association is engaging with coordinating associations, stakeholders, administration officials, and Congressional allies. The PCA Government Affairs team has participated in over two dozen discussions on the topic since the report’s release on Monday evening. The PCA will convene additional meetings in the coming days/weeks.

Effective advocacy does not always involve grassroots engagement or public messaging, especially on complex trade policy issues, and that is why the association is approaching this with the utmost discretion. We do not recommend adjudicating the report online or submitting non-substantive comments to the docket, as neither will aid the industry’s advocacy to protect the premium cigar industry.

The Premium Cigar Association will file comment(s) before the deadline, either jointly or independently, asserting the impacts on US small businesses and employees if the report’s recommendations for increased tariffs and/or the suspension of Nicaragua from the CAFTA-DR treaty were to take effect.

The association will update members on matters related to this topic as developments occur, while maintaining discretion to avoid jeopardizing the effectiveness of any advocacy strategy being executed.