US Congress: Let Ordinary People Wear Shoes.

"Let people wear shoes". If this initiative is issued by leaders of a poor country in Africa, people will not be surprised, but in fact, this is a bill in the US Congress, which aims to eliminate the high import tariffs imposed by the United States on daily necessities such as shoes, and protect the interests of the common people of the United States.

According to the global times, the motion to abolish many unreasonable shortcomings in the current US tariff system has been seconded by more than 140 members of the two parties in Congress and is expected to be incorporated into a comprehensive tariff reform bill in the future.

Once passed, the United States will reduce taxes on shoes by 800 million dollars a year, equivalent to 40% of all shoes tax.

According to the latest data provided by us customs, imports of clothing and footwear in the United States account for only 6.5% of the total imports, but tariffs on these commodities account for almost half of the US $20 billion tariff revenue each year.

But this way of levying taxes on daily necessities rather than luxuries is like robbing the poor and helping the rich.

According to this tariff system, low income families may spend about $4 on a pair of shoes at a cheap store for $10.

Critics argue that this policy also makes economic losses to developing countries exporting these commodities, which is a serious discrimination against these countries.

Portland business magazine pointed out that once the bill is passed, the biggest benefit will be the general public. At that time, the middle and low grade shoes priced below US $50 will be reduced by 60% in the US market.

But the American Apparel and Footwear Association believes that the price cut may be about 40%, and it depends on whether producers and retailers can help consumers.

But the motion "let people wear shoes" has also been opposed by some people.

William Hawkins, a researcher with the US Business Council, believes that besides the functions of Taxation and protection of employment, the tariff system should also have a strategic consideration of national security.

He said that people who lobby in Congress and call for the abolition of footwear import tariffs are mainly agents of Chinese interests, because more than 70% of the shoe imports in the United States come from China, so reducing tariffs can only be beneficial to China.

Hawkins said: "I think we have given China enough help. Last year, the trade deficit between the United States and China was as high as about 250000000000 dollars. In the past 10 years, China accounted for less than 1 trillion dollars of trade deficit in the United States.

We do not need to re adjust our tariff system to make China's industry more profitable.

He called on the United States to continue to impose high tariffs on labour intensive products from China and strive to achieve the pfer of such products from developing countries such as Mexico, which signed free trade agreements with China and the United States.