“Dear Donald Trump, please avoid taxing Chinese leather goods imports”: signed Tapestry and USHSLA. The association of raw material tanning traders has signed the request of the US fashion group to USTR, representative for the United States of America, as well as a member of the executive office of the President. The two institution appeal to the administration to save bags and travel accessories made with leather derived from the US supply chain from a 25% duty hypothesis.
Sothmann’s comment
After collecting success on the European front, Stephen Sothmann, president of USHSLA and future LHCA number-one, hopes to correct the course also with regard to China. “The new duty would be the third tax on US leathers – it is the comment in a note – after the one at slaughter and the one between 5 and 10% at Chinese customs”. The sense of the request, in a nutshell, is to clarify to the Trump administration that a duty to import Chinese leather goods is not only a double-cross to Beijing, but also an own goal: “Imports from China is closely linked to our activities – concludes Sothmann -, US materials are a key input for the Chinese leather industry”.
