Retailers Respond to Tariff Escalation: ‘Where Does This End?’

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French after the Trump administration announced that current tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods will rise from 25 to 30 percent on October 1. New tariffs set to take effect September 1 and December 15 on $300 billion in Chinese goods will rise from 10 to 15 percent. 

“It's impossible for businesses to plan for the future in this type of environment. The administration’s approach clearly isn’t working, and the answer isn’t more taxes on American businesses and consumers. Where does this end?” 

About NRF 
The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association. Based in Washington, D.C., NRF represents discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest-private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.