(September 29, 2026) – On Friday, September 25, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA) jointly led an industry coalition letter to Congressional leaders shaping American trade and economic policy, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Trade Chairman Adrian Smith (R, NE-03), and House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Trade Ranking Member Linda Sánchez (D, CA-38). This letter expresses the industry’s concerns about the burden additional tariffs place on American families and urges firm legislative action that would prevent the stacking of tariffs resulting from current and forthcoming Section 301 investigation determinations and other future tariff actions. The letter can be found here.
The letter spotlights critical industry data that demonstrates how rising costs, affordability concerns, and additional barriers—introduced by current and forthcoming tariff-related actions—create increased financial burden and uncertainty for American families and consumers during the season of fall sports and holiday shopping.
“Tariffs continue to be an economic pain point for the sports and fitness industry, significantly impacting families, fans, consumers, participants, and businesses. SFIA’s 2026 State of the Industry Report shows that tariffs are the #1 issue impacting our industry right now. Increasing sports and fitness participation helps us build active communities – but these rising costs hurt sports and fitness participation,” said Todd Smith, President & CEO of SFIA. “SFIA applauds Chairman Crapo, Ranking Member Wyden, Chairman Smith, and Ranking Member Sánchez for their leadership in leading important dialogue on the future of American trade and tariff policy. We look forward to continuing to work alongside both our industry leaders and collaborators in the U.S. Congress to improve the accessibility and affordability of sports and fitness across the country at this critical time.”
“For families, footwear is not optional, and for kids playing sports, the right shoes and cleats are essential,” said Matt Priest, President and CEO of FDRA. “Yet footwear already faces some of the highest tariff rates of any consumer goods, and adding new tariffs on top of those costs only makes it harder for families to afford the shoes their children need. Congress has an opportunity to provide meaningful relief by preventing tariffs from continuing to stack and protecting affordability for American families.”
The importance of eliminating barriers to participation in sports and fitness has never been more urgent. The next decade offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity in the United States to leverage the sports and fitness landscape to reshape and redefine America’s legacy, increase sports and fitness participation—especially for youth—and improve public health. SFIA is excited to drive this momentum through our 2034WARD Campaign, which highlights the decade-long opportunity during which American innovation and leadership across the sports and fitness industry is being showcased on the global stage. SFIA, FDRA, and our collaborators across the industry look forward to working with our partners in Congress to ensure that the season of fall sports, physical activity, community engagement, and holiday shopping remains affordable and accessible for American families.
SFIA serves as the voice of the sports and fitness industry, advocating for increased sports and fitness participation, improving affordability and accessibility of sports and fitness, and working closely with legislators and public policy stakeholders to represent and advance the industry’s voice. Learn more about SFIA’s Policy & Advocacy priorities here.
For more information, please contact Aneysha Bhat, SFIA Director for Government Affairs & Strategic Advocacy, at [email protected].