The US apparel and footwear industry is calling for swift enactment of the Outdoor Act, which it says will lower duties on outdoor clothing and support research programmes for the industry.
In a letter to Senators Roy Blunt and Maria Cantwell yesterday (2 January), the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) said S. 1719, the US Outdoor Act, will eliminate duties on new classifications, and support US jobs by funding domestic research programmes and American technologies for creating sustainable, eco-friendly apparel supply chains. The Act was introduced in August and has since been referred to the Committee on Finance.
“The high tariffs that remain (some as high as 30%) no longer protect a domestic industry and instead stifle product development and unnecessarily hamper our growth,” the body explained in its letter. “In fact, a 2007 study by the International Trade Commission found there is no commercially viable manufacturing of recreational performance outerwear in the US. The bill has been thoroughly vetted with the domestic textile and apparel industry to ensure none of the products covered by the bill are made in the US.”
The AAFA says its support of the Act is down to the elimination of “unnecessary and excessively high” tariffs on recreational performance apparel “that no longer serve their intended purpose.”
The Act, it adds, will help make these products more affordable for companies to produce, encourage more Americans to get outdoors, fuel innovation, and help the US apparel industry and its workers.
“With the likelihood that Congress will consider a trade package this year, we are excited about the possibility of the US Outdoor Act being passed and signed into law. We greatly appreciate your leadership on this issue and look forward to working with you,” it concluded.
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