The American Association of Footwear Distributors and Retailers appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to exempt footwear from the imposed tariffs, claiming an “existential threat” to the industry, according to a Bloomberg report.
The 29 April letter, signed by Nike Inc, Under Armour Inc, Puma SE and Adidas’ U.S. subsidiary, among others, noted that the imposed levies could lead to higher U.S. footwear costs and plant closures.
“If the current situation continues, U.S. footwear workers and consumers will suffer,” the document noted. “This is an emergency situation that requires immediate action and attention.”
“The companies emphasise that tariffs will not facilitate a return of production to the US, as this would require” significant capital investment and multi-year planning to change supply sources “. Adapting to the new environment is too costly to cover new expenses at the same time, they said,” the source said.
Manufacturers have also pointed out that countries, particularly Vietnam and Indonesia, where the largest volumes of production are located, could be hit with the highest tariffs. Half of all Nike shoes are made in Vietnam.
Earlier, Trump announced a 90-day pause on a number of proposed tariffs, particularly on Vietnam and Indonesia. This decision caused a sharp drop in stock markets and a wave of protests from business representatives.