Stephen Lamar, CEO, American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) has advised lawmakers against looking at stimulus as as ‘one-and-done’ deal. The trade group CEO advocates lawmakers to seek additional rounds of stimulus in the coming months.
As per Lamar, tariffs on China’s apparel, footwear and travel goods could hurt US industries and consumers this holiday season. Tariffs are even being charged on crucial PPE equipment needed in the fight against the coronavirus. US is charging tariffs on many items of personal protective equipment. It still has tariffs on reusable isolation gowns.
This is the wrong time to have these tariffs, Lamar says. According to him, US can use those tariffs to pass along savings to consumers, to hire workers not to pay into these US coffers like this. Despite the political discord and jockeying going on in Washington, Lamar says that there are signs of encouragement that prove that lawmakers could come together on a stimulus.