AAFA Decries Tariffs After US Election, Advocates for Unity Around 'Smart Trade' Policies
Proposed new tariffs will negatively affect American consumers, the American Apparel and Footwear Association said in a news release Nov. 6 reacting to the results of the U.S. presidential and congressional elections. President-elect Donald Trump says he will increase tariffs on goods coming into the country.
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AAFA equated tariffs to “taxes paid by U.S.-based businesses and American consumers,” not the Chinese and other foreign suppliers whose goods will be tariffed. In view of this, lawmakers should “unite around smart trade and regulatory policies to keep our industries competitive,” AAFA CEO Steve Lamar said. He said tariffs "will trigger new inflationary cycles if campaign proposals are fully enacted."
The association said it will continue to advocate for the renewal of expired or expiring trade programs, citing the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program and the Haiti HELP/HOPE preference program. AAFA also said it will "look forward to" policies that "protect our shipping channels and ports, [and] put a stop to the influx of counterfeit goods across third-party e-commerce platforms."