Apparel, footwear and travel goods stores are now significantly limiting operations to follow the Administrations recommendations to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Apparel, footwear and travel goods stores are now significantly limiting operations to follow the Administration's recommendations to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

US industry representatives have called on the Treasury to offer more support for clothing and footwear brands to manage their operations during the coronavirus crisis.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), the US Fashion Industry Association (USFIA), and the Travel Goods Asociation (TGA) wrote a letter addressed to Steve Mnuchin, saying the Treasury needs to roll out "a wide range of tools" to help companies manage the crisis. This should include granting tariff relief immediately, providing for access to capital and other monetary resources to assist in challenges to liquidity, and assisting with distressed worker compensation.

The letter said many apparel, footwear, and travel goods stores are now significantly limiting operations to follow the administration's recommendations to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

"While we recognise this is critical to the Administration's efforts to combat this deadly virus, and we are proud to play our part, we are concerned that prolonged store closures could have a devastating and lasting impact on our employees and our industry, including our small and family-owned businesses. For these reasons, we ask that the administration consider any and all efforts to protect the footwear, apparel, and travel goods sectors."

The coalition said temporary tariff relief including refunding punitive duties paid already is an "important tool that should be deployed immediately".

"In 2019, our industry paid more than $20bn in tariffs, reflecting both punitive rates established recently and rates that were established nearly 100 years ago. While most other goods Americans import are taxed at a rate of just 1.5%, apparel and footwear tariff rates are much higher, often in the double digits.

"For the past two years, we have struggled with tremendous uncertainty, confusion, and increased costs from the decision to impose punitive tariffs on footwear, apparel, and travel goods, which every American family must buy as a necessity. These tariffs hit at a time when retail stores throughout the country were already facing unprecedented challenges. As you implement this relief please also take action to delay the payment timetables – like what you have already signaled with income tax payments – for all tariffs."

Beyond tariffs, the coalition calls for greater access to capital and credit to keep workers on payrolls.

"The immediate loss of revenue associated with store closures, while those companies are still facing payroll, rent, and other supply chain costs, will have reverberations throughout our supply chains, hitting our 4 million American workers, including workers in design, marketing, logistics, retail, compliance, manufacturing, and so much more. Without relief, companies will be forced to make longer-term decisions that will make recovery more difficult for American businesses and American workers."

A raft of US companies have announced store closures globally in a bid to control the spread of the virus as the outbreak develops.