Nike, Under Armour urge Trump to remove footwear from tariff list

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Leading U.S. footwear companies, including Nike and Under Armour, on Monday urged U.S. President Donald Trump to immediately remove footwear from the proposed tariffs list on goods imported from China.

"The proposed additional tariff of 25 percent on footwear would be catastrophic for our consumers, our companies, and the American economy as a whole," a group of 173 companies said in a letter.

Trump increased tariffs on 200-billion-U.S.-dollars' worth of Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent earlier this month, a move that is expected to raise prices on thousands of products including clothing, furniture and electronics

"As an industry that faces a 3-billion-U.S.-dollar duty bill every year, we can assure you that any increase in the cost of importing shoes has a direct impact on the American footwear consumer," the companies said.

An Under Armour outlet in Dalian, Liaoning Province. /VCG Photo

The letter was also sent to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow.

The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) estimates the hike in tariff would add 7 billion U.S. dollars in additional costs for customers every year.

The companies noted that the tariffs on footwear average 11.3 percent and reach rates as high as 67.5 percent. Adding a 25-percent tax increase on top of these tariffs would mean Americans could pay a nearly 100-percent duty on their shoes, the companies said in the letter.

Last week, the world's largest retailer Walmart warned that its prices would increase due to higher tariffs on goods from China and that the levies were already hurting its furniture business. Macy's also said that the tariffs enacted on May 10, do have some impact, particularly on its furniture business.

Source(s): Reuters