The U.S. government imposed new tariffs on imports from Vietnam in April 2025, affecting major footwear brands like Nike and Adidas. This move brings potential challenges for companies relying heavily on Vietnam as a manufacturing hub and raises concerns about possible price hikes for consumers across the country.
In the past, footwear corporations, including Nike, have actively lobbied against tariffs, highlighting the adverse effects on consumers and industry stability. Notably, in 2019, over 170 footwear firms urged then-President Trump to exclude footwear from tariff lists on Chinese products, fearing a significant increase in consumer costs by approximately $7 billion annually, as reported by The Hill.
Currently, there are no recent reports of Nike or other shoe companies requesting a tariff exemption from the Trump administration. These developments underline the critical negotiation points for the footwear industry when dealing with international trade policies.