FDRA ‘dismayed’ by yet more extra tariffs in US-China trade dispute
02/08/2019
Talks between the two resumed in Shanghai in the last days of July following something of a rapprochement at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, a month earlier. The Osaka discussions between President Trump and President Xi Jinping came at the end of possibly the two most turbulent months since trade tensions began at the start of 2018.
However, commentators said the US delegation reported slow progress in the late-July Shanghai sessions, resulting in President Trump’s new announcement.
Chief executive of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), Matt Priest, quickly issued a statement expressing dismay. He said his organisation had worked tirelessly to make the case against “even higher tariffs on shoes”.
In the statement, Mr Priest went on to say: “It is clear political considerations are outweighing economic common sense as 70% of every pair of shoes sold in the US comes from China. Footwear from China is already hit with upwards of 67% duties. Tariffs are taxes and this move will noticeably raise the cost of shoes at retail and will have a chilling effect on hiring in the footwear industry.”
He said the FDRA will not take the news of “one of the largest tax increases” in US history lying down and will continue to fight against additional tariffs.
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