RILA Urges USTR Caution in Use of Tariffs

By [ Blake Harden ]
Washington, DC
03/12/2025

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) on Tuesday filed comments with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) regarding the review of unfair trade practices and possible application of reciprocal tariffs.

In its comments, RILA urged caution in going forward because of the compounding nature of the new tariffs that have already been levied against trade partners.

“RILA supports efforts to hold our trading partners accountable and using targeted trade tools to address unfair or discriminatory behavior that negatively impacts American workers and businesses. Should USTR’s investigation conclude that reciprocal tariffs are the appropriate remedy to address other countries’ unfair trade practices, we urge USTR to ensure that any remedial measures do not harm U.S. companies or family budgets,” Blake Harden, RILA’s vice president, international trade, wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

“In short, we urge extreme caution in the use of tariffs to address unfair trade barriers to ensure that household budgets are not further squeezed by cost increases. Instead, we urge USTR to focus on negotiating with our trading partners to reduce trade barriers to U.S. goods and services.”

RILA member companies provided details about some of the stacked tariffs currently being considered:

Ladders: 2.5% in 2018; 72.5% potential duty now (25% Section 301 +20% IEEPA + 25% steel and aluminum finished goods)
Pet gates: 3.40% in 2018; 73.40% potential duty now (25% Section 301 +20% IEEPA + 25% steel and aluminum finished goods)
Outdoor griddles: 5.7% in 2018; 75.7% potential duty now (25% Section 301 + 20% IEEPA + 25% Section 232 + 5.7% column 1)
Gas and electric smokers and pellet grills: duty free in 2018; 45% potential duty now (20% IEEPA + 25% steel and aluminum finished goods)

Read the full comments and attachment online.

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Media Contact: Ginger Gibson
202-539-1585

RILA is the US trade association for leading retailers. We convene decision-makers, advocate for the industry, and promote operational excellence and innovation. Our aim is to elevate a dynamic industry by transforming the environment in which retailers operate.

RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $2.7 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs, and hundreds of thousands of stores, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers domestically and abroad.