If the United States’ president’s executive office for International Commerce was waiting for technical feedback from operators before proceeding with the imposition of duties, the message launched by USHSLA and LIA (associations representing US traders of raw materials and US tanning) is unequivocal: these potential duties on imports of leather goods from the European Union would cause harm for the segment. The Trump administration, which is already crossing ‘commercial’ swords with China, is ready to pick a fight with the EU as well, which is (according to the White House), guilty of offering too much support to its civil aviation industry: accessories are, allegedly, also part of the retaliatory duties’ list. “By doing so, we would hit out main clients, and thus ourselves as a consequence”, is the point of the message sent by USHSLA and LIA to the Office of the US Trade Representative. “A robust market with no restrictions is a fundamental aspect of US leather – states the joint note sent by the two organizations -, which exports 95% of its production every year. The duties would have detrimental effects on companies, workers and total income”. The letter takes 2018 as an example: the EU bought wet-blue leather for 180 million USD, with Italy alone buying 178 million USD. “Imposing these duties would mean destroying decades of market development – concludes the note – and it would put even more pressure on the chain, at a time in which many challenges, such as falling prices and duties on other markets, are already causing distress”. USHSLA and LIA communicate at the end of the note that the latter was written with the collaboration of the European Federation, Cotance, UNIC – Italian Tanners and the homologous association of France, SGCP and United Kingdom, UK Leather.
The US Tanning Segment against the duties on leather goods: “It’s self-harm”
