US footwear industry urges tariff relief ahead of school season

As reciprocal trade deals near finalisation, footwear industry leaders led by the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), are calling on Ambassador Greer to ensure new tariffs are not added on top of already steep footwear duties.

As trade deals near finalisation, the FDRA urges Ambassador Greer not to stack new tariffs on already high footwear duties, which hit working-class families hardest.
With children’s shoes already taxed up to 48 per cent, the industry said that added tariffs—like the 20 per cent on Vietnamese goods—could worsen inflation and threaten footwear jobs.

The industry stressed that current tariff rates—averaging 12 per cent and reaching as high as 48 per cent for children’s shoes—already burden working-class US families disproportionately.

With President Trump recently confirming a new 20 per cent tariff on Vietnamese-made goods, industry representatives argue that this effectively doubles the cost for many footwear imports already taxed at that level. Children’s shoes, they emphasise, are rarely produced in the US and are essential for education, sports, and child health—especially ahead of the back-to-school shopping rush.

The letter, which follows an earlier appeal to President Trump in May, supports his stance that tariffs should not aim to revive domestic sneaker or T-shirt production. Signatories also highlighted the sector’s limited strategic relevance to national security and pointed out that footwear companies are already set to pay over $5 billion in duties this year alone.

Industry groups are urging the administration to exempt footwear from additional reciprocal tariffs or provide credits against current Most Favoured Nation (MFN) rates. Without action, they said, consumers could face rising prices and job losses across the footwear supply chain.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)