Americans for Free Trade is a multi-industry coalition aimed at opposing tariffs and highlighting the benefits of international trade to the US economy.

Made up of more than 80 of the nation’s leading retail, manufacturing, technology, and services trade organisations, the new coalition has joined with Farmers for Free Trade in a multi-million dollar national campaign called Tariffs Hurt the Heartland. Kicking off with events in Chicago, Nashville, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, the campaign will focus on telling the stories of the American businesses, farmers, workers, and families harmed by tariffs through town-hall style events, grassroots outreach to Congress and the administration, social media, rapid response, and digital advertising.

Joining the coalition is the latest step in The Toy Association’s ongoing, aggressive fight against toy tariffs. Over the past several months, the Association has remained active on the issue by meeting with congressional offices, submitting comments to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and White House, staying abreast of the potential impact of tariffs on member companies, and joining with multi-industry stakeholders to strongly oppose tariffs. As part of these efforts, last week Toy Association president & CEO Steve Pasierb submitted comments to the USTR opposing the recently proposed $200b list of Chinese imports, which would have a significant impact on US toy companies, US toy jobs, and US consumers.

Steve commented: “The Toy Association remains deeply concerned about the negative impact of toy tariffs on American families, quality jobs in US toy and children’s product companies, and our nation’s retail community. The most recent proposed list of goods subject to tariffs would damage consumer spending during the vital holiday shopping season as well as toy companies of all sizes – particularly small businesses; amount to nothing more than a tax on American families and their children; and lead to projected losses of tens of thousands of US jobs. Trade wars are the wrong approach.”