OIA sees NAFTA renegotiation as a good opportunity
16/06/2017
The OIA urged the Trump administration to do the following:
• Preserve reciprocal duty-free market access for outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment as a primary outcome.
• Include tough and enforceable labour and environmental provisions that match international standards in the core text of the agreement
“NAFTA has been extremely beneficial for outdoor companies by eliminating unnecessarily high and outdated import tariffs on outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment not made in the USA and creating valuable new export markets for domestic manufacturers,” the organisation said.
It warned against a full withdrawal from the agreement, saying it would be “a devastating blow” to the outdoor industry as it significantly increase costs, hamper innovation and eliminate US jobs.
“The renegotiation of NAFTA also presents an opportunity to advance labour rights and protections for the environment, which are core values of outdoor companies and consumers,” the OIA added. “An updated NAFTA can build on the gains made with the “May 10thAgreement” and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and bring labour rights and the environment to the forefront of U.S. trade policy, matching the standards for which outdoor companies are already known.
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