Retailers Urge House to Hit Pause Ahead of New Tariff Authorization Vote 

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) issued the following statement ahead of a pending House vote on tariff-authorizing legislation:

Retailers support strong, targeted sanctions against Russia to help end its war against Ukraine and hold accountable those financing Russia’s aggression. As lawmakers consider sanction legislation, they should ensure the bill advances that important goal without creating unintended consequences for American consumers. 

“While retailers believe sanctions against Russia are an important priority for Congress, we remain concerned that the expanded tariff authority in the bill could lead to new tariffs that unintentionally raise costs for American consumers,” said Ellen Jackson, director of government affairs at RILA. "The goal is to stop the flow of revenue fueling the war against Ukraine, and that can be achieved without authorizing broad new tariffs on imports from countries that are allies in the effort."

The House has already advanced bipartisan sanctions legislation targeting Russia that doesn’t include the secondary tariff authority. As the Senate bill is currently written, if countries reduce their consumption of Russian energy but remain among the largest buyers, the bill does not provide a clear way to recognize that progress or remove the threat of tariffs. Without a workable off-ramp or review mechanism, the proposal risks creating costs for American consumers without effectively rewarding the behavior Congress is seeking to encourage. 

“Lawmakers should eliminate the risk of unintended consumer cost increases by removing the secondary tariff provisions or substantially narrowing them before moving forward,” Jackson said. “Congress can sanction Russia without adding new price pressures on American families.”

RILA urges House lawmakers to continue examining the legislation’s unintended consequences and work with stakeholders to ensure any final bill is targeted, effective, and does not unnecessarily raise costs for consumers.

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Media Contact: press@rila.org

RILA is the U.S. trade association for leading retailers. We convene decision-makers, advocate for the industry, and promote operational excellence and innovation. Our aim is to elevate a dynamic industry by transforming the environment in which retailers operate.

RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $2.7 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs, and hundreds of thousands of stores, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers domestically and abroad.