Last week, OIA continued its efforts to secure relief for small outdoor businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak, including an urgent call to the Trump administration to lift all punitive tariffs on outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment sourced from China. We greatly appreciate those who have joined us by sending letters to their congressional representatives in support of this effort.
Now, we are calling on the administration to support a deferral of duty payments on imports for at least 90 days to provide much-needed liquidity to outdoor companies and help them preserve jobs and stay in business. Such action is consistent with the three-month delay on filing of personal and corporate income tax returns which has already been instituted.
TAKE ACTION
Outdoor companies already face import tariffs of about 14 percent, on average, and as high as 37.5 percent. Many outdoor companies are paying punitive tariffs of 10 or 25 percent on top of those on affected products sourced from China. A deferral of tariff payments on imports would help outdoor companies, particularly small businesses, address serious cash-flow issues during this challenging time when retail outlets have closed and manufacturers have shut down due to COVID-19.
Once again, we need your help. Please reach out to your representatives and senators and urge them to Take Action to join OIA and support a deferral on tariff payments for at least 90 days. You action will help outdoor companies get back to what they do best: developing new, innovative outdoor gear to enhance the outdoor experience and get more Americans outdoors.
You can also still contact your congressional representatives and urge them to support lifting punitive tariffs on outdoor products sourced from China.
OIA has taken a series of actions to help outdoor companies manage the COVID-19 outbreak:
- OIA joined 25 other members of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) in urging President Trump to support a series of proposals in a federal aid package to help small outdoor businesses and their employees.
- OIA also joined 90 other organizations urging the president to support assistance for retailers of all sizes and for related suppliers.
- OIA joined 23 trade associations in sending a letter to Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, urging him to support lifting punitive China 301 tariffs on products sourced from China and to refund duties paid to stimulate the economy and help U.S. businesses respond to the crisis.
- OIA signed letters organized by the Americans for Free Trade coalition to the president and the House Ways and Means Committee urging the administration to lift all punitive China 301 tariffs.
- OIA submitted comments to the House Ways and Means Committee outlining the negative impact of the China 301 punitive tariffs on outdoor companies and calling for them to be removed.
