The American Consumers & Workers Justice Coalition (JCWJC) took its opposition to proposed tariffs on Chinese luxury vinyl tile (LVT) imports to Washington, DC by testifying before the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Section 301 tariff hearings.

The coalition was represented by Harlan Stone, one of the founders of the ACWJC and president of the Multilayer Flooring Association (MFA). ACWJC was founded by leaders of the Multilayer Flooring Association (MFA) to promote the interests of consumers, workers and the vinyl flooring industry.

Stone made the case for the negative ripple effects these tariffs would have upon the entire industry in addition to US consumers. Barron Frith of Creative Flooring Solutions (CLF), also a member of the MFA board and the coalition, was also present to support the removal of LVT from the list of products that would be subject to additional tariffs of up to 25 percent.

“As a representative of the ACWJC, I had the opportunity to stand up for all those benefiting from the exciting and explosive growth of LVT and MLF in the U.S. who want fair trade and fair competition, which lead to continued innovation,” commented Stone. “We are lucky to live and work in a country where regular citizens can have their voices heard. An open, honest and transparent approach to market dynamics should lead to the right decision by those who listened to many hours of testimony this week. I will continue to fight on behalf of the coalition members and assist the USTR as they deliberate on this important issue.”

Frith added, “We were here as the voice for the coalition, which consist of over 120 companies representing manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and contractors that believe the tariffs will have a negative impact on our industry. Hopefully Washington is listening.”