US footwear executives lobby for trade breaks
The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) led a delegation of footwear and apparel executives to Capitol Hill to lobby for international trade policies and programmes.
The visits came as part of a three-day series of meetings at which AAFA members identified trade priorities for the coming year, including the renewal of an expiring Nicaragua trade programme, the renewal of the expired Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the passage of Trade Promotion Authority.
They also discussed the renewal of the expiring African Growth and Opportunity Act, passage of the expired Miscellaneous Tariff Bill package and the implementation of a global trade facilitation agreement.
"With 98% of our footwear and 97% of our apparel produced offshore, it is clear two-way trade liberalisation and open markets are key to the four million US workers employed by the American apparel and footwear industry. We need Congress and the administration to get back to work, renew expired and expiring trade programmes, and move forward,” said Juanita Duggan, CEO of AAFA.
During the visits, members met senators and representatives from their home states as well as the Senate Finance Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee and Congressional leadership.
