Retail’s Holiday Trade Policy Wish List for Washington

As the last week of July rolls around, most people are focused on the dog days of summer: beach trips, backyard barbecues, and fun-filled vacations. But when I look at this week’s calendar, one date jumps off the page: July 25. 

As of July 25, there are exactly 153 days until Christmas. That's right. As your supply chain teams know, Christmas is practically here - and we’re still in sunscreen season. 

Trade policy may not be the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of people when they think about Christmas wish lists. But in the retail industry, you know all too well that trade policy decisions made in Washington over the coming months will shape the affordability, availability, and selection consumers find during the coming holiday season. 

At RILA, we believe effective trade policy should deliver three things: greater certainty for businesses, greater stability throughout the supply chain, and greater affordability for American families. Simply, if retailers were sending a Christmas list to Washington, it might look something like this: 

• Trade policies that protect affordability for American families, including avoiding broad-based tariffs on consumer goods that can increase costs on everything from apparel and consumer electronics to home products and toys. 
• Policies that promote the stability and predictability retailers need to make sourcing, inventory, and supply chain decisions, recognizing that U.S. companies have taken meaningful action to diversify supply chains that cannot be changed on a whim. 
• Resilient transportation and freight networks so that companies can efficiently and reliably plan the movement of goods while minimizing costs and disruptions. 
• Targeted trade enforcement tools to address unfair trade practices.

RILA is a leading voice in support of these policies and advocates aggressively to ensure their advancement. 

At the same time, RILA is vigilant when legislative proposals threaten certainty, consistency, and continuity for retailers and consumers, as is the case with the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 currently being considered in the Senate. Retailers are not opposed to strong sanctions against Russia.  However, the secondary tariff provisions in the legislation would authorize tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the largest purchasers of Russian energy, including China and India. Because these tariffs would be stacked on top of existing duties, they could significantly increase costs for retailers, consumers, and supply chains. RILA is actively educating lawmakers about the unintended consequences of these policies while ensuring the retail industry's perspective is heard and understood by policymakers, particularly the impacts on consumers, supply chains and the broader economy. 

With 153 days to go, retailers understand better than anyone the hard work it takes to deliver a successful holiday season. By working together to advance the right policies and staying focused on affordability, stability, and certainty, we can make this year’s holiday season brighter, merrier, and more budget-friendly for American families.

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