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July 30, 2013

Trade rep: Shoe tariffs a delicate balance

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on Monday gave no promises to workers at a New Balance factory in Norridgewock, saying that tariffs protecting the American-made footwear are just a part of international negotiations that could affect the company in a variety of ways.

The Portland Press Herald reported that Froman said Monday that while Vietnamese manufacturers are pushing for elimination of tariffs that could make their shoes cheaper in the United States. and thereby more competitive with New Balance, other portions of the negotiations stand to benefit the company’s expansion internationally. Froman told New Balance employees that trade negotiators are working to eliminate similar footwear tariffs on U.S. products in Japan, which he said could expand the company’s reach there.

Froman also said the elimination of tariffs on Vietnamese footwear could have ancillary benefits for New Balance, which he said imports around 20% of its product from the Southeast Asian country.

During the visit Monday, company leaders continued their pleas for trade negotiations to preserve tariffs on certain foreign footwear, saying that the country’s 4,000 domestic shoe manufacturing jobs could be in jeopardy.  

Froman’s visit followed on a trip to Maine by his predecessor, Ron Kirk, who visited the Norridgewock plant in September 2012.

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