'Trump Majeure' clauses are among the ways brands are navigating the uncertainty of US trade policy as new duties on imports from Mexico, Canada and China go into effect.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump signed executive orders imposing tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada, the US's largest trade partners, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). To go into effect on 4 February, the tariffs will impact a third of all goods shipped into the US - including clothing, footwear and beauty products. ...
All of this will impact the fashion and beauty industries, both in the US and outside of it, with consumers likely to bear at least some of the brunt. (US customers of Canadian retailers like Ssense and Artizia were already questioning how the changes would impact their orders; thanks to the de minimis loophole closure, they could end up paying more in taxes.) Many brands and retailers began preparing for the tariffs when they were first proposed last year, but how prepared are they?
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Trump has indicated that his focus is on revitalising domestic manufacturing rather than targeting consumer products, notes Julia Hughes, president of the United States Fashion Industry Association. "Maybe that means that the tariff battles will focus on other products since there already are very high tariffs on apparel and footwear," she says, referencing the current Section 301 tariffs, which apply a 7.5 to 25 per cent rate to many types of China-born clothing and shoes. "But we're waiting to see."