Rep. Ayanna Pressley and other House Democrats pushed the Trump administration on Thursday to exempt car seats and other essential infant products from recently imposed tariffs.
Ms. Pressley, Massachusetts Democrat, said car seats are required in all states and yet over 90% of them are made in China. Mr. Trump imposed a blanket tariff of 30% on Chinese goods and a sweeping 10% on imports from any country.
“We therefore urge you to immediately work with the president to exempt baby and toddler products from current and future tariffs, particularly those involving imports from China,” Ms. Pressley and 25 other Democrats wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Ms. Pressley pointed to tariff exemptions granted to other products, such as semiconductors and smartphones, and to May testimony in which Mr. Bessent said an exemption for baby and infant products was under consideration.
President Trump seemed to be open to the idea at the time, though said he did not want too many carveouts from his tariffs.
“I’ll think about it. I don’t know,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office. “I want to make it nice and simple. But I’ll take a look at it.”
Tariffs are taxes or duties paid by importers on the goods they bring in from foreign markets.
Mr. Trump says tariffs are a great way to force companies to return to America or keep their operations in the U.S., employ American workers and create revenue to fund domestic programs.
Foreign countries don’t pay the tariffs directly to the U.S. Treasury. In many cases, U.S. companies will pay the levies, and they might pass on at least some of the cost to consumers through higher prices.
Ms. Pressley and her Democratic allies said parents and their wallets shouldn’t be collateral damage in trade disputes, and pointed to exemptions for baby products when the first Trump administration imposed tariffs.
While Mr. Trump’s tariff plans are in flux, the Joint Economic Committee reported that prices for five common baby items – car seats, cribs, strollers, high chairs and baby monitors — had gone up by an average of 24% since April 1.
“At a time when families are already struggling with the rising costs of food, housing, and healthcare, trade policies that further inflate essential childcare expenses are both counterproductive and deeply concerning,” the lawmakers said. “We therefore urge you to immediately work with the President to exempt baby and toddler products from current and future tariffs, particularly those involving imports from China.”
The Washington Times has requested comment from the White House and the Treasury Department.
