Monday, November 3, 2025
PRESS RELEASE: SC Chamber President and CEO Mike Brenan Announces Retirement
Three Things to Know: October 17th
This week's information compiled by your SC Chamber team includes:
SC Chamber, SCMA Announce Merger During Statehouse Celebration, U.S.-China Trade War Continues with Port Fees and Threatened Tariffs, House Tort Reform Ad Hoc Committee Holds Meeting
1.SC Chamber, SCMA Announce Merger During Statehouse Celebration
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce (SC Chamber) and the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) today announced the formation of a new advocacy organization, formally combining entities, resources and leadership effective January 1, 2026.
The new organization – South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce (SCMC) – will be one of the largest and most powerful advocacy organizations in the history of South Carolina. Merging the SC Chamber and SCMA will allow the business community across the state to speak with one unified voice, bolster its presence in Columbia, expand its reach across South Carolina and align its goals.
"Combining SCMA and the SC Chamber offers a unique opportunity to speak with one strong voice for manufacturing and commerce in South Carolina — strengthening advocacy and programming that benefit all of us in the Palmetto State," said Grant Burns, who will serve as chair of the new combined organization, and who is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of AFL, a fiber optics manufacturer, in Duncan.
Burns and SC Chamber Chair Thomas Rhodes led teams from both organizations in the merger discussions.
“This new, formal partnership represents an extraordinary moment to shape the future of South Carolina,” said Rhodes, who is a business owner, entrepreneur, and Partner at Rhodes Companies. “By bringing together two highly respected organizations into a single, influential voice for the business community, we will better serve our members, strengthen our ability to impact the decisions that affect our competitiveness, and drive lasting economic growth. Together, we will position South Carolina as a place where business and industry not only thrive but lead the way for years to come.”
Standing together with key allies and state leaders – including Governor Henry McMaster, House Speaker Murrell Smith and Senate President Thomas Alexander – Burns and Rhodes introduced Sara Hazzard as the President and CEO of SCMC. Hazzard, well-known to the business community and its leaders throughout South Carolina, has served as President and CEO of SCMA since 2018, and led SCMA government relations from 2004 - 2018.
“This is a transformational opportunity,” said Hazzard. “For more than a decade, Team South Carolina – from the governor’s office to the legislature, from our great businesses to community leaders – has consistently broken economic development records. Now is the time to keep building on this momentum. When the business community speaks with one voice, when we combine our resources, and when we commit to working together like never before, we will out-compete our neighboring states, and anyone around the country, for opportunities that lift up our families and communities.”
Burns and Rhodes signed documents commemorating South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce during an event at the Statehouse.
2. U.S.-China Trade War Continues with Port Fees and Threatened Tariffs
The United States and China have both imposed port fees on each other as the trade war between the two countries continues. The fees from both countries went into effect on Tuesday.
The U.S. imposed a $50-per-net-ton fee on Chinese-owned or -operated ships docking at American ports for each U.S. voyage. The fee will be charged no more than five times per year and will increase by $30 per net ton annually through 2028. This could cost the world’s top 10 carriers up to $3.2 billion next year.
In retaliation, China imposed a similar fee on American ships, mirroring the U.S. policy. U.S.-owned ships will be charged 400 yuan (approximately $56) per net ton each time they dock in China. This fee will also be applied no more than five times per year and will increase annually through 2028.
Following the announcement of the Chinese port fee and new export controls on rare earth elements, President Trump threatened to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports, as well as export controls on American software. These measures would take effect on November 1 or sooner, allowing time for de-escalation, as the Administration has a meeting scheduled with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during an upcoming trip to South Korea.
3. House Tort Reform Ad Hoc Committee Holds Meeting
This week, the S.C. House of Representatives’ Tort Reform Ad Hoc Committee met to hear testimony on proposed changes to several medical malpractice provisions included in S.244, the comprehensive lawsuit reform package that passed the Senate in last year's legislative session, and H.4544, a bill that wasn't introduced until the end of last year's session.
Much of the discussion focused on three main issues that are addressed in some capacity in both bills: how “occurrence” is defined under current damage caps, whether “gross negligence” should be listed as an exception, and if the existing caps should be increased.
No action was ultimately taken. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Weston Newton indicated that the Ad Hoc Committee would hold additional hearings to consider changes to the state’s statute of repose for construction defect claims and address time-limited settlement demands. A recording of the hearing can be found here.