The FDRA called the the U.S. Withdrawal from TPP a “significant lost opportunity for American footwear consumers and businesses.”
Matt Priest, president and CEO, FDRA, said in a statement, “While not a surprise, we are extremely disappointed that the U.S. has withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) because of the significant lost opportunity for American footwear consumers and businesses. This 12-nation agreement involved key markets for the U.S. footwear industry, including Vietnam and Japan, and would have saved U.S. footwear companies and consumers more than half a billion dollars a year. FDRA will continue to support efforts for U.S. bilateral free trade agreements with these nations, and we stand ready to work with the President on trade agreements that will deliver real value for American footwear consumers and strengthen U.S. footwear companies.”
FDRA is by far the largest and most respected footwear trade association in the U.S. In all, it supports more than 150 companies and over 200 brands designing, producing and selling footwear to consumers all over the globe.
