This week JCPenney and Macy’s, among scores of other businesses, implored the US Trade Representative to pull numerous apparel and footwear products from a vast product list slated for new 25% tariffs, according to letters filed by the department stores.
An attorney for JCPenney noted in the retailer’s letter that the proposed tariffs would hurt Penney’s core customer: middle-class females who shop for their families on a “marginally” higher household income than the U.S. median. The retailer also pointed out that apparel and footwear tariffs are already high relative to other products, and the costs of the new duties would inevitably fall on US shoppers.
Both JCPenney and Macy’s noted the difficulty in shifting supply chains away from Chinese manufacturers. Both also pointed out that only 2% of shoes sold in the US are made domestically, and there are no sweater manufacturers to either retailer’s knowledge… SupplyChainDIVE
