The International Housewares Association (IHA), in the latest of several initiatives by the association addressing tariff developments, sent an email to its U.S. supplier members providing access to an online platform through which they can direct a letter to congressional representatives outlining the potential harm to the industry caused by mounting tariffs imposed and proposed by the Trump administration.
IHA collaborated with Details Matter, Peters LLC, a specialist in digital advocacy campaigns, to set up a website page through which IHA-member housewares suppliers in the United States can reach congressional representatives about tariff concerns using the VoterVoice platform. The detailed letter to Congress that can be sent using the portal was prepared by IHA on behalf of its members to reflect their shared concerns, according to IHA.
Visitors to the page are greeted with the following message:
“IHA members have faced hardship from the deluge of tariffs at unprecedented levels against key trading partners, especially China. With the decision by the administration to pause some tariffs for 90 days, IHA members who are impacted and concerned should contact their Members of Congress to let them know of the havoc unprecedently high tariffs and the related volatility have brought to our industry.”
The message on the landing page notes legislation is pending in the House and the Senate (H.R. 2665/S.1272, the Bacon-Grassley bills) to restore congressional authority to review and approve tariffs imposed by administration action within 60 days.
“The tariffs themselves, as well as the rate at which they have been enacted, have created significant challenges for the home and housewares industry,” IHA President and CEO Derek Miller told HomePage News. “It is impossible to plan, and already, tight margins have been eliminated. It’s important for those impacted to contact members of Congress to let them know that U.S. companies have been caught in the middle of this trade war. The VoterVoice program will help concerned IHA members deliver this message.”
To contact congressional representatives using the VoterVoice platform, visitors to the portal set up by IHA fill out a brief profile before submitting the letter to their respective members of the U.S. House of Representatives and/or U.S. Senate.
IHA has introduced a number of programs to help inform and advise the home and housewares industry on frequently changing tariff developments and their potential impact. Last month, IHA held a webinar with updates from the association’s Washington D.C.-based government affairs office and freight logistics service provider, TQL Global. The next tariff-related webinar, dedicated to answering questions from members and retailers, is scheduled for April 23, with details to come soon. IHA indicated it also is close to launching a program to give IHA members access to new tools to help them remain up to date on rapidly changing tariffs and trade regulations and rulings.
