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.
