Affordable Footwear Act back on the agenda
03/04/2009
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has given its support to moves by politicians in the US to bring back the Affordable Footwear Initiative.
The aim of the initiative is to secure new legislation that would eliminate the so-called shoe tax for lower-cost and children’s shoes. The initiative would afect around 60% of the shoes sold in the US each year.
The tax means US consumers are paying too much for new shows, according to the AAFA, which says the proposed new legislation would provide tax relief “for hardworking American families who unwittingly pay upwards of 40% of the cost of a shoe at the cash register” to cover import duty on shoes made outside the US. Since 99% of the shoes US consumers purchase each year are produced outside the US, there is no way for most consumers to avoid this tax.
“The re-introduction of the Affordable Footwear Act is a great step forward in growing our economy,” said Kevin Burke, president and chief executive of the AAFA. “This legislation will bring direct relief to families, workers, manufacturers, and businesses at the right time.”
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