Tariffs, Taxes Top JA Washington Agenda

RAPAPORT…
A delegation from Jewelers
of America (JA) has met with US lawmakers and congressional staff to discuss trade and tax concerns affecting its members.



The
meeting, which took place on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 19, was led by the
Jewelers of America Political Action Committee (JAPAC). It was the ninth in a
series of annual advocacy “fly-ins” by the committee.



The
event covered topics such as the ongoing US-China trade war and potential
import tariffs on Chinese jewelry products and materials. It was attended by 10
politicians from across the US, including Republican Senator for Arkansas Tom
Cotton.



Last
month, Cotton was one of four cross-party politicians to introduce the new
Equitable Act to Congress — a bill that seeks to increase
oversight of Chinese and other foreign companies listed on American exchanges.



Other
issues discussed during the fly-in included sales-tax fairness, for which JA has
been lobbying over decades in an effort to level the playing field between
brick-and-mortar and online jewelers.



The
JA saw the June 2018 US Supreme Court decision to overturn a 1992 ruling —
which did not require online sellers to pay sales tax — as a positive step. However,
it has continued to petition for further changes nationally, including a
potential federal framework for online sales-tax collection.



“Jewelers
of America has made a great deal of progress advocating for issues that affect
independent jewelers, like sales-tax fairness,” said JA CEO David Bonaparte.
“But there is still work to be done and JA is focused on keeping the industry’s
needs front and center on Capitol Hill.”


Image: Jewelers of America representatives at the United States Capitol. (Jewelers of America)