U.S., Mexico accelerate elimination of rubber footwear duties

WASHINGTON (Jan. 16)—Some 37 different tariff classifications of footwear, most containing at least some rubber or plastic, are among the goods that will see accelerated tariff elimination under the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Bush administration negotiated with Mexico for the tariff breaks for 16 types of footwear entering Mexico from the U.S. and 21 entering the U.S. from Mexico. This marks the fourth time the U.S., Mexico and Canada have held talks under NAFTA to accelerate tariff elimination since the agreement was ratified in 1994. The goods involved in these negotiations—also including motor vehicles, electronics, toys and chemicals—total $25 billion in annual trade, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.