AAFA welcomes shipping reform bill
The US House of Representatives in Washington DC has passed a new Ocean Shipping Reform Act, with the aim of preventing “excessive and unjust detention and demurrage fees” at ports. The bill had already won approval from the Senate and President Joe Biden can now sign it into law.
In a statement, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) said it approved of the new bill, saying it will strengthen the resilience of its member companies’ supply chains. It said it wanted brands bringing imported shoes and clothing into US ports to be protected from unfair pricing at the hands of shipping companies.
AAFA chief executive, Steve Lamar, said the bill was long overdue. He said an ongoing “supply chain crisis” that began in 2021 had shown “price gouging” could affect companies and consumers in the US.
Mr Lamar said there was more the US government could do to help address this supply chain crisis and high inflation. Specifically, he urged the administration to lift the tariffs on some products that came in under former president Donald Trump.
