What to Consider & What’s Being Done

The AAFA team is dedicated to providing you with timely coronavirus (COVID-19) resources to help protect your teams, your consumers, and your supply chains. 

In addition to our regular calls, AAFA committee updates, and weekly member update emails from AAFA president and CEO Steve Lamar, this page provides the latest COVID-19 resources as we come together to support one another during this pandemic. We are incredibly proud of the AAFA members that are making a difference in the community - see a sampling of their stories here. 

Current Situation and What to Consider

AAFA is propelling the industry forward at this incredibly difficult time. Learn more via our weekly member calls, plus related advocacy and resources throughout this page.

AAFA RESOURCES:

• Coronavirus Company Preparedness Checklist
• AAFA's Webinar Learning Center recordings
• Participate in the Industry Resilience Campaign and give back to the Two Ten Footwear Foundation, Delivering Good, and A Common Thread! Contact Megan Balkovic to reserve your AAFA Industry Chat or Briefing. 
• (See other sections for additional AAFA-developed resources)

OTHER KEY RESOURCES:

• CDC situation summary and FAQs
• World Health Organization
• Real-time COVID-19 tracker, maintained by Johns Hopkins University
• U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Information Bulletin

Stimulus Measures

The potential for a commercial credit crisis is now top of AAFA's agenda. See letters sent on June 2 and on June 23 to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Take part in AAFA's weekly COVID-19 policy calls to learn more.

On April 21, the Senate reached a deal on a $484 billion relief package that would add funds to the previously passed CARES Act. Details on the deal are available from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Additional Chamber resources on the CARES Act: Economic Injury Disaster Loan Guide; Employee Retention Tax Credit Guide; Small Business Emergency Loan Guide (English version, Spanish version)

Tariff Relief 

On April 19, President Trump issued an Executive Order to defer limited amounts of duty payments for 90 days if a company can show economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 10, CBP issued a reminder on the due dates for estimated duties, taxes, and fees which were postponed for the 90 days.

AAFA is pushing tirelessly for additional relief. AAFA also encourages the industry to send a pre-drafted letter to Congress.

 

Meeting Demand for Personal Protective Equipment

AAFA RESOURCES:

• International Lab Testing Capability For Personal Protective Equipment
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulatory Guidance During COVID-19
• List of Relevant HTS Codes & Tariff Rates for PPE
  
  • Related - Detailed Analysis on HTS codes for Surgical Gowns and Scrubs, Courtesy of Sorini, Samet & Associates
•  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplier List
• AAFA members taking action, via combination of donations and PPE production

Guidelines for Safe Business Operations under COVID-19
ADVOCACY:
In a letter to President Donald J. Trump on July 10, AAFA requested that the administration institute federal face mask guidelines to assist retail stores as the country continues efforts to safely reopen. See related letters and press release.

AAFA RESOURCES:

• Accessing Face Masks: Your Bulk Purchasing Resource
• AAFA Guidance on Returns, Fitting Rooms, & Items Tried on in Stores During COVID-19
• Supplier Country Lockdown List
• AAFA/WRAP Guidance on Reopening Factories 

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Operation Open Doors Checklist by the National Retail Federation (NRF) supplemented by this Blueprint for Shopping Safe, released jointly by NRF and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). State resources for retailers from the National Retail Federation
• State-by-State Business Reopening Guidance (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
• Federal Guidelines - Identifying Critical Infrastructure (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)
• County and State COVID Case and COVID Policy Tracker (National Association of Counties)
• Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to COVID-19 (Centers for Disease Control)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publications, including OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
• COVID-19 Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources (U.S. Small Business Association)