Document qkBqR1a4wawy2vx4QDGEO7wjE

KIMBERLYN KING-HINDS NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS, AT LARGE 425 CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515-5201 (202) 225-2646 (tongrefiti of the aniteb iptate5 ji)ouge of Repregentatibeo fflafshingtoo, )tC 20515-5201 February 5, 2025 The Honorable Sean Duffy Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Duffy: Congratulations on your confirmation as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Your life of service to our country has been of great significance, and I appreciate the leadership and experience you bring to the Department at this critical time for our nation's transportation networks. I write to urge the Department of Transportation exercise full compliance with Annex VI, Article 6 of the U.S.-China Air Transport Agreement and lift the ongoing restrictions on international air service between the People's Republic of China and my district, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), I These restrictions conflict with the terms of the bilateral agreement, which explicitly exempted the CNMI from limitations on the number of designations or frequencies of scheduled air services. The failure to adhere to this provision has placed a severe and unnecessary strain on the economic recovery of my district. The CNMI is a U.S. Territory with striking similarities to rural communities across America. The Americans living in my district are proud citizens of this country but face unique challenges due to our distance from major U.S. urban centers, reliance on a single industry for employment, limitations of our transportation infrastructure, and pronounced vulnerabilities to federal policy decisions. Just as rural communities in states like Wisconsin depend on agriculture and manufacturing as economic lifelines, the CNMI's economy is singularly dependent on tourism. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, international visitors accounted for 42 percent of total economic activity and directly supported 25 percent of all household income in the CNMI.2 Today, tourism arrivals remain 57 percent below pre-pandemic levels.3 The economic impact has been devastating to businesses and individuals across my district. U.S. Department of State. U.S.-China Air Transport Agreement ofJuly 9, 2007. Available at 2009- 2017.state.uov c eb rls, otlir c ( I/114749111M 2 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Gross Domestic Product for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 2021 & 2022. (November 21, 2024). Available at aI ttps: ww.hea.,20\ sites default tiles 2021- 1 1 engdp1 124.pdi 3 Marianas Visitors Authority. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Visitor Arrival Statistics. Available at Intps: . dri`c.t:oovic.coin Iik d I 413Wnd71A2 WQxj Kx vvIlZatvarv4C9(i I view:?usp OPRSINTT-2ED02O5N-1R2EC0Y0CPLEaDgPeA0PE0R057 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0008219 The decline in Chinese tourism has been a primary driver of this economic decline. Between 2015 and 2020, travelers from China represented 40 percent of annual arrivals to the CNMI, diversifying the region's visitor base, expanding exports from my district, and stabilizing the local economy. Since 2021, that figure has plummeted to 8 percent, leaving the CNMI heavily dependent on a single market--South Korea. This overreliance has made the economy particularly vulnerable to external shocks, as demonstrated by the Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crash on December 29, 2024,4 which led to widespread cancellations and further economic instability. The U.S.-China Air Transport Agreement was negotiated with a clear understanding of the CNMI's unique circumstances, and Annex VI was specifically designed to ensure uninterrupted air service to the territory in circumstances exactly like the one we see today. The ongoing restrictions imposed under DOT's Part 213 Orders5 have undermined this agreement, creating unnecessary barriers to economic recovery and disregarding a longstanding federal commitment to the CNMI. For these reasons, I urge the Department of Transportation to comply with Annex VI, Article 6 of the U.S.-China Air Transport Agreement and establish unrestricted scheduled air service between China and the CNMI. Adhering to this agreement is essential to rebuild* the local economy, supporting American businesses and workers, and upholding the commitments made in U.S. foreign and transportation policy. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. I look forward to working with you to ensure that federal transportation policies reflect the needs of all U.S. communities, including those in the territories. Sincerely, KI Member N KING-HINDS ongress 4 Daisuke Wakabayashi. Jeju Air's Problems Mount After Crash that Killed 179 People. New York Times. (January 5, 2025). Available at http.s: ' \MN\ .nytimes.coin 2025'01:!05 business jeju-air-south-korea-en.isli.htnil 5 DOT. Orders 2020-5-4, 2020-6-1, 2020-6-3, 2020-8-6, 2023-5-6, 2023-8-10, 2023-10-9, and 2024-2-21. OST-2025-1200 Page 00058 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0008220