Washington, D.C - Yesterday, the USFIA submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in response to the September 3, 2019 announcement that the Trump Administration would further ramp up tariffs on consumer goods (as part of the Section 301 case against China). In the comments, USFIA President Julia K. Hughes urges the Trump Administration to remove all apparel products and consumer goods from the list of products subject to tariff increases under this Section 301 case.  “It is time to end the trade war now,” says USFIA President Julia K. Hughes. 

USFIA  has seen the negative impact that tariffs are having on American consumers and business. Our members, representing brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers in the US who provide fashion for American consumers, as well as high quality jobs in the US, have already spoken out about the way these tariffs have negatively affected them. According to the USFIA’s 2019 Benchmarking Survey, “companies across the United States said they are very worried about rising costs, and they are feeling less optimistic about the outlook for the fashion industry; a direct link to the 301 action against China.”

USFIA emphasized the urgency of the tariff situation to USTR as layoffs and company closures loom ahead for some companies. “These additional tariffs do not address China’s unfair trade practices and instead are causing harm to the U.S. economy.  We support face-to-face negotiations to end the trade war and instead focus on serious and enforceable trade agreements with China to resolve these issues.” 

We know that fashion is only made possible by global trade. USFIA has asked USTR to support American consumers, businesses, and the creation of high-quality jobs in the U.S. by supporting global trade.