Mexico tariffs "indefinitely suspended": On Friday, President Trump “indefinitely suspended” the proposed 5 percent tariffs on U.S. imports from Mexico that the administration had planned to implement this week. This came after AAFA and the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) sent a joint letter to the President urging him not to impose tariffs on trade with Mexico. AAFA had also joined a letter with more than 100 other trade associations on this topic.

China tariff update: Yesterday was the deadline to request to testify in Washington regarding the proposed tariffs on $300 billion worth of U.S. imports from China, including all apparel and footwear items. Testimony will begin on June 17 and AAFA's President and CEO Rick Helfenbein has requested to testify on behalf of the industry. If your company is testifying, AAFA is happy to help fine-tune your remarks - please contact Steve Lamar or Nate Herman.

Last week, AAFA also joined a letter with the Americans for Free Trade coalition, raising concerns with the exclusion process for the third tranche of tariffs on U.S. imports from China, which includes all travel goods and was increased from 10% to 25% in May.

GSP under attack: In recent weeks, the administration has removed preferential treatment for India and Turkey under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. Indonesia and Thailand are also under review. As these countries are key sources of travel goods for the U.S. market, AAFA members are encouraged to contact their Members of Congress regarding the importance of the program to your supply chains. For assistance, please contact Steve Lamar or Nate Herman.

See all of AAFA’s latest letters, comments, and testimony here.