ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, strongly urges the U.S. federal government to remove the tariffs on cleaning-related products and materials – ending the trade war.

According to ISSA, components of mops and brooms, vacuum cleaners, sanitary paper products, manufacturing equipment, cleaning product formulations, raw materials, and much more that are imported from China are being subjected to a 25 per cent tariff. In addition, U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced he would impose a five per cent tariff on Mexican imports in the coming weeks unless actions were taken by Mexico to address immigration-related issues.

ISSA is concerned about the negative impacts the tariffs are having on the cleaning industry, employees, and consumers.

“These tariffs are not just affecting manufacturers of cleaning products but rather the entire supply chain of the cleaning industry'” the release says.

ISSA wants the administration to address the unfair trade practices China is using by pursuing strategic trade negotiations that generate enforceable trade agreements that protect the legitimate interests of U.S. businesses.

In its previous comments submitted to the U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) late last year, Bill Balek, ISSA general counsel, wrote,

“Manufacturers and distributors that sell their products to institutional and commercial customers often are contractually locked into a price and are not able to raise prices to cover tariffs that exceed their margins. Consequently, these companies must look at cost-cutting measures, which usually translates into layoffs and reduced hiring, along with decreased capital investment.”

The ongoing tariffs could also compromise the ability of many facilities to maintain safe and sanitary conditions. With the increased costs throughout the supply chain, cleaning and sanitizing facilities will become more expensive.

ISSA vows to continue monitoring and weighing in on tariffs and other trade issues and encourages those impacted by tariffs to:

• Submit comments by June 17 on the fourth round of tariffs;
• Contact elected officials urging them to stand up against tariffs and let them know how higher tariffs are affecting business; and
• Engage customers and employees about how tariffs are impacting business.