FDRA’s president warned that the new tariffs on imported footwear—especially those from China—will drive up prices and hurt American jobs and consumers, particularly low-income households. This reaction highlights concerns over regressive policy measures that risk undermining economic fairness.

The FDRA's Q4 2024 Shoe Executive Business Survey found that the government’s tariff policy, especially in light of new plans announced by President Trump, is the top concern for footwear industry leaders heading into 2025. The survey underscores worries about the impacts of authoritarian trade measures on industry costs as most shoes sold in the U.S. are imported from countries like China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

FDRA sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, urging the Biden administration to eliminate Section 301 tariffs on footwear imported from China. FDRA argued that these tariffs disproportionately raise costs for American businesses and working class consumers, thereby harming economic well‐being.

FDRA, the trade organization representing footwear industry interests, spent $330,000 on lobbying activities in 2023 according to OpenSecrets reports, indicating active engagement in political influence.

FDRA, as part of a coalition of fashion industry trade groups, signed a letter urging Congress to take decisive action to eliminate forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. The letter emphasized the need for enhanced supply chain transparency, innovative technologies for traceability, and strict enforcement of labor regulations to combat what the group described as a campaign of oppression.

FDRA, as part of a consortium of retail and fashion trade organizations, has implemented a broad-based due diligence effort involving NGOs, labor groups, and policymakers. The organization emphasizes a zero-tolerance approach to forced labor in China's Xinjiang region, and supports calls for creating a multi-stakeholder working group to address labor abuses.

On March 10, 2020, FDRA joined a joint statement with other major industry associations denouncing forced labor practices in Xinjiang. The statement affirmed the industry's commitment to maintaining supply chains free of involuntary labor and called for the U.S. government to engage a multi-stakeholder working group to assess and address the issue.

In a 2009 event covered by Footwear News, FDRA President Matt Priest, formerly of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is reported to have ramped up lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. FDRA is promoting the Affordable Footwear Act—a bipartisan initiative aimed at providing immediate economic stimulus to constituents—while also opposing the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure designed to strengthen workers’ rights. The event highlights a dual approach: aggressive political lobbying with potential benefits for economic policies but a stance that undermines pro-worker labor reforms.