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Tariffs bring the heat – help react: Last week, President Trump announced yet another threat to global trade — directing the U.S. Trade Representative to identify as much as an additional $400 billion worth of U.S. imports from China to be targeted with a 10% tariff. With near-constant actions that promise overwhelming impacts on U.S. companies, workers, and consumers — AAFA has been on the front lines to elevate the voice of the industry. See our recent press interviews and letters to Congress. Here are four ways for members to get involved today:
- Contact Steve Lamar to share information about how these tariffs, retaliation to these tariffs, or previous tariff actions are affecting your business. Members of Congress are asking for such anecdotes.
- Oppose new tariffs with this pre-drafted letter from our Legislative Action Center.
- Register to join our upcoming member-only webinar on July 11: "Trade War or Friendly Dispute? Managing the Chaos" when you will hear the latest from AAFA's Steve Lamar and Nate Herman.
- Keep up with what's going on with AAFA's Trade War Heat Map (member login required), which lists recent trade actions and the threat level to the apparel and footwear industry.
AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein sits down with Richard Quest on CNN International’s Quest Means Business on Friday, June 22 as he flagged the risk of the ‘Trump Tax’ and its impacts on consumers and AAFA members (video playback unavailable).
Footwear fallacies: In a speech on illegal immigration last week, President Trump claimed that Canadians were crossing into the United States to engage in massive shoe smuggling back into Canada. He explained this "smuggling" as an example of the high tariffs Canada charges on U.S. products, and how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was a bad deal for the United States. Contrary to this argument – we welcome more Canadians to purchase our products! Here are two ways to learn more about the real impact on tariffs on your footwear business and how to assist in advocacy efforts that improve the trade environment for your business to thrive:
- Join us for the 2018 AAFA Footwear Workshop, September 27 at New Balance in Lawrence, MA.
- Take part in AAFA’s Footwear Action Committee — a platform for members to discuss issues unique to the production, sourcing, and selling of shoes. This group is member-led and focuses on three areas: producing footwear-specific products and tools, driving footwear-focused policy, and creating a forum for discussion and feedback on footwear issues. Contact AAFA’s Nate Herman to learn more.
See all of AAFA’s latest letters, comments, and testimony here.
Congress and government agencies solicit comments on a range of issues that may affect your business – find a list of comment opportunities here.
