The US apparel and footwear industry recently expressed its ‘deep frustration’ following the announcement by President Donald Trump that he will direct his administration to impose a punitive 10 per cent tariff on a list of $300 billion worth of imports from China beginning September 1. The list of products includes all apparel and footwear items. “Tariffs are taxes on American consumers. The President’s decision to proceed with adding these additional costs for hard-working American families is truly shocking,” said Rick Helfenbein, president and chief executive officer of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). “This decision will increase the tariff bill on all clothes, shoes, and home textiles, like blankets and sheets – products that already account for the vast majority of the duties collected by the US Government. The fact that this tweet comes after only one meeting with the Chinese delegation following the resumption of talks is extremely concerning. It is time for Congress to step up and take back its authority to manage international trade as outlined under the US constitution,” he said in a statement. In 2018, 42 per cent of apparel and 69 per cent of footwear sold in the United States were imported from China. The punitive tariff would be added on top of the tariffs already imposed on these products. In 2017, 51 per cent of the duties collected by the US government came from the apparel, footwear, textiles, and travel goods industry, despite accounting for only 6 per cent of all imports. Most textiles, all travel goods, and many accessories are currently being hit with a 25 per cent additional tariff as part of previous steps taken by the administration in the trade conflict with China.
