Specialty Food Association President Phil Kafarakis joined SFA member importer Atalanta, led by Tom and Andy Gellert, to warn legislators and regulators in Washington, D.C., last Thursday, about the impact that the proposed U.S. tariffs would have on the industry.
During meetings with senior officials from the White House, Congress, and the USDA, the SFA delegation underscored the fact that tariffs on European Union exports would negatively impact the $148 billion specialty food industry, it’s 1.3 million employees, and countless U.S. consumers.
“We are encouraged by the administration’s interest in understanding the potential negative impact of 100% tariffs on food businesses. But we’re disappointed that this has become a political matter and has caught our members by surprise. It’s disturbing that the proverbial ship has sailed and our concerns haven’t been considered,” said Kafarakis.
There continues to be uncertainty regarding the products that would be impacted and the degree of damages imposed, but it appears certain that September 30 is the date that the World Trade Organization will make a final damages decision in the dispute between the U.S. and E.U. that will trigger U.S. Trade Representative action.
“Not being complacent but being diligent and proactively developing mitigation plans to address our business issues is now the priority,” Tom Gellert said. “We are facing serious potential financial challenges. I want everyone in the industry to know that it’s not too late to call your congressional representative and express concerns over the outcome of this situation.”
SFA is committed to continuing to speak out on this critical issue. Kafarakis has provided testimony to the USTR twice on this matter. He concluded his August 5 testimony with, “These proposed additional tariffs are not appropriate...and would be especially harmful to the nationwide network of small- and medium-sized food businesses that sell specialty foods to a growing consumer base.”
from Industry Operations https://ift.tt/2kF3IDI
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