TPP Negotiations are Promising for Footwear Tariffs and Job-Supporting, Froman Says
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Mike Froman said ongoing negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement “hold promise for job-supporting Maine exporters and importers," during his July 29 visit to a New Balance factory. Froman said Maine held a strong interest in expanding exports to TPP partners like Malaysia and Japan, especially following Japan’s recent entry into TPP. He also acknowledged that changes to footwear tariffs could reduce New Balance’s expenses while affecting the prices of its goods and those produced by competitors. Froman said the factory visit was helpful to understand various factors that impact New Balance’s competitiveness, and committed to remain engaged with New Balance, the Maine delegation and stakeholders as TPP talks proceed.
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In a statement from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), President Matt Priest invited Froman to tour any FDRA members’ headquarters, distribution centers or retail outlets to “meet the faces of the 21st Century footwear industry.” Priest also urged Froman to consider all American footwear jobs in making final TPP decisions. Priest said less than 1 percent of shoes sold in the U.S. are made domestically, and shoes made in the U.S. are still “made entirely from or include key imported components, mostly from China.” The “exorbitant duties” from imported materials have “done nothing to keep manufacturing jobs here and have hampered the industry’s ability to increase jobs in other areas of the supply chain,” Priest said. Priest called trade policy for the benefit of American footwear jobs and affordable footwear a top priority for Froman and the administration.