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TOP NEWS
Exercise Your Bragging Rights
TGA
Have you been in the news? Has your product been featured on a show or in a movie? Seeking new employees? Searching for distribution partners? Let us know! Did you roll out a new product or product line? Build a better mousetrap? Do something good for a great cause? Tell us! Share the news with your travel industry colleagues and increase awareness of your brand. Email your info and press releases to kim@travel-goods.org. We’ll get the word out – and fast.
You’re Missing Out If You’re Not in the HUB
TGA
It travels here, there, everywhere, and is a place when paired with nine. It’s one cool customer, to be sure, but with a warmth that is sublime. It’s a Pro, but no need to pay. Under or over – it swings both ways. Two are upperclassmen; the other likes to party. One by one or in a group, in either case it’s hardy. So, riddle me this and register there. And if you’re not in the HUB, then…where?
Senate Approves Amendment Re-opening China Section 301 Tariff Exclusion Process, Fate Unclear
TGA
On May 27, the Senate approved by a vote of 94-1 an amendment to pending anti-China legislation that would re-open and fix the TGA-supported China Section 301 tariff exclusion process. Under the previous tariff exclusion process, numerous petitions for travel goods exclusions were seemingly arbitrarily rejected. A reopening of the process could provide a new opportunity to exclude certain travel goods items from the 25% punitive tariff on U.S. travel goods imports from China. These tariffs are in addition to the normal 17-20% tariffs paid on U.S. travel goods imports from China, leading to an effective tariff rate of around 42-45%.
Senate Approves Amendment Renewing GSP, Next Steps Unclear
TGA
On May 27, the Senate approved by a vote of 94-1 an amendment to pending anti-China legislation that would retroactively renew and extend GSP from December 31, 2020 until January 1, 2027, add new eligibility criteria for beneficiary countries, including human rights, women’s economic empowerment, and rule of law, and require regular country eligibility reviews. While a very strong vote, the fate of the overall anti-China legislation remains uncertain. Note that the new eligibility requirements and required review could put into jeopardy GSP benefits for key travel goods suppliers like Myanmar and Cambodia. GSP expired on December 31, 2020, meaning that U.S. travel goods imports from a wide range of developing countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Burma (Myanmar), Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Pakistan have paid full duties since January 1, 2021. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued instructions on how importers can retain the right to collect refunds of duties paid if GSP is retroactively renewed. In 2020, U.S. travel goods imports from GSP countries increased 8.4%. GSP countries supply 16.3% of all U.S. travel goods imports today. TGA continues to lobby Congress for immediate and retroactive renewal of GSP, and urges you to write your members of Congress to encourage them to retroactively renew GSP as soon as possible. It only takes a couple of minutes.
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Senate Punts on China Bill Amid GOP Objections
POLITICO
Late last week, the Senate agreed to delay final passage of a wide-ranging bipartisan bill aimed at confronting China after Republican senators forced a series of procedural hurdles that threatened to keep the chamber in session through the holiday weekend. READ MORE
Best Leather Duffel Bags of 2021
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
When you need to pack a lot of stuff and don’t necessarily like hardside or clamshell suitcases, duffel bags can be a smart pick. Avid travelers see their luggage go through the wringer. It’s tossed under buses and onto airline carousels or crammed into trunks and overhead bins. A tough material such as leather can be ideal for your duffel. So here are some of our favorites. READ MORE
7 Reasons Travel Is More Expensive This Summer
LIFEHACKER
So it turns out that when everyone wants to travel at the same time, travel gets more expensive. And after more than a year of pent-up demand, the U.S. Travel Association Travel Price Index is showing a 9.5% year-over-year increase in prices versus April 2020. Supply chain issues, labor shortages, and, yes, increasing demand are all factors suddenly making travel more expensive. To help you budget for the summer, here’s a look at what’s more expensive this year and why. READ MORE
Move Over Italy – Japan Is Also Selling Off Abandoned Bargain Homes to Lure Residents
TRAVEL + LEISURE
Italy isn’t the only place to score a major deal on an abandoned home. Japan is also dotted with unoccupied homes called akiya – an estimated eight million of them. And like their Italian counterparts, Japanese officials are willing to let some of them go for free in the hopes of revitalizing rural areas across the country, Nikkei Asia reports. READ MORE
Dream Trips Without the Crowds? That’s the Hope, Anyway
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Tour companies are reporting a resurgence in interest for trips to bucket-list destinations, where travelers can still see the sites without being jostled. READ MORE
Korn Ferry Says Expect More Retail CEO Turnover
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
If you work in retailing, chances are you have a new CEO – or you will soon. Changes at the top began in earnest during the pandemic, and the momentum of new CEO announcements will continue through 2021 “because new leaders are needed to drive growth in this radically new retail environment,” according to a new report from the largest executive search firm, Korn Ferry. READ MORE
9 Travel Products Flight Attendants Always Pack
CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER
If there’s anyone who knows how to pack like an expert, it’s a flight attendant. Because so much of their time is spent on planes or in hotels, they have plenty of opportunities to figure out what items are worth bringing along and which don’t make the cut. As we all begin dusting off our suitcases again, we asked flight attendants from around the world to share their top travel gear – the go-to items they’ve landed on through years of trial and error – to help make your next journey a bit more comfortable. READ MORE
4 Leadership Styles That Enable Leaders to Drive Success and Navigate Change
ASSOCIATION FOR TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Situational Leadership is a common sense, contingency-based leadership model that features four patterns of leadership behavior. A leader determines which style to use after assessing an individual’s ability and willingness to perform a specific task. No matter how many plot twists 2020 threw, Situational leaders managed their teams by using one of these leadership styles. READ MORE
A Guide to Social Media Marketing for B2B Executives
TRAVEL + LEISURE
With almost 4 billion people on social media, the audience scale and exchange of information on this digital medium provides an enormous opportunity for leaders and organizations. B2C organizations and leaders were the first to adopt social media extensively, but B2B players have increasingly entered the arena over the last several years. As B2B organizations navigate how to create and refine their social media marketing strategy, it’s also important for B2B executives and leaders to be included in the mix. READ MORE
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