More than 70 footwear companies asked President Donald Trump to exempt their products from sweeping new tariffs they said pose an “existential threat” to the industry.
Members of the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America made the ask in a letter to Trump this week. Among those that signed are Oregon-headquartered companies Nike and Columbia Sportswear.
The so-called “reciprocal tariffs,” announced last month, are expected to slam footwear and apparel companies, many of which rely on supply chains in the countries targeted by tariffs. Trump has since paused many of the tariffs for 90 days, but retained a 145% surcharge on products from China and a 10% tariff on most imports.
“Hundreds of businesses face the prospect of closure,” according to the letter, which was sent to the president by the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America, a trade group. “Tens of thousands of jobs are at stake.”
The footwear and apparel industry is a cornerstone of Oregon’s economy. In addition to Nike and Columbia Sportswear, numerous companies with Oregon offices or employees signed the letter, including Adidas, Skechers, Under Armour, V.F. Corp., Deckers and Bogs.
The group said it’s already subject to steep tariffs and hopes for immediate relief.
“The American footwear industry does not have months to adjust business models and supply chains while absorbing this unprecedented and unforeseen tariff regime,” the group wrote. “Many of our companies do not know how, or even if, they are going to pay the costs of already shipped merchandise now arriving on U.S. shoes.”
Trump has shown some willingness to grant tariff relief, including to consumer electronics companies and automakers, but he’s suggested the concessions are temporary.
The tariffs will not bring footwear manufacturing back to the United States, one of the goals of Trump’s trade war, according to the letter.
“It takes significant capital investment and years of planning to shift sourcing,” the group wrote. “The new tariffs in fact remove the business certainty that is needed to make these types of investments and erase almost all the necessary capital. There is also a reciprocal tariff on the machinery and materials needed to make footwear in the U.S.”
Nike hasn’t spoken about how it’s going to deal with the tariffs.
On Thursday, Columbia Sportswear withdrew its sales guidance for the year, citing ongoing uncertainty, and said it may be forced to lay off employees later this year to cope with the new costs.
“Our industry has never faced an environment where rules and regulations around trade are more unknown and unknowable,” CEO Tim Boyle told analysts.
The White House hasn’t commented on the letter.
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