The U.S. Congress has reintroduced the Affordable Footwear Act, which...

The U.S. Congress has reintroduced the Affordable Footwear Act, which the U.S. National Retail Federation says would save consumers $800 million a year if passed, by eliminating tariffs on many imported shoes. The tariffs, which the NRF says are as high as 67.5 percent and the Outdoor Industry Association estimates reach 37.5 percent on outdoor shoes and boots, were implemented in the 1930s to protect American shoe manufacturers from foreign competition. However, now domestic production makes up only about 2 percent of the market. If the act is passed, duties would remain on high-end, luxury footwear and about 20 categories of shoes still made in the U.S., many of them special-purpose and where price is a secondary factor. Tariffs would be eliminated on about 60 percent of imported shoes, about 1.5 billion pairs per year. The act was drafted in consultation with the few remaining U.S. footwear manufacturers to ensure that U.S.-made products remain protected.