01 Jun TPP: The Blueprint for the Future of Footwear Trade
The future of footwear trade policy is staring us in the face.
U.S. footwear companies want to invest in 21st century footwear innovation—emerging technologies, 3D printing, advanced manufacturing, U.S. job creation—in order to propel our industry forward, but they are burdened by a costly, restrictive, and outdated tariff system from 1930. Congress has an opportunity to ease this burden on the industry with the passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation free trade agreement that will provide $6 billion in savings to footwear companies over ten years and serve as a blueprint for the future of footwear trade policy.
I cannot overstate the importance of passing TPP for the U.S. footwear industry. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to dramatically reduce tariffs and make major progress in an area of trade policy that has long stifled creativity and job creation.