ASSOCIATION NEWS
Farah Ahmed Testifies Before
USTR on E.U. Tariffs
The association is proactively engaging with the Administration to
ensure U.S. manufacturing and jobs remain top priorities
Representing the U.S. fragrance industry,
Farah K. Ahmed, President & CEO of
Fragrance Creators Association, testified
May 15, 2019, before the United States
Trade Representative (USTR), urging the
Administration not to apply any tariff or
trade restrictions on essential oils and
concentrates of essential oils classified in
HTS heading 3301. While supporting the
Administration’s goal of promoting U.S.
manufacturing, Fragrance Creators asserts
that the tariffs will negatively impact
American businesses and consumers while
providing no additional benefit to the U.S.
economy.
Essential oils and concentrates of
essential oils deliver wellness benefits
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18 | FRAGRANCENOTES.ORG | Issue 2, 2019
for millions of Americans. The fragrance
industry’s use of these ingredients promotes
biodiversity and enhances the lives of
farmers in the U.S. and around the world.
“Levying tariff and trade restrictions
on essential oils, particularly those that are
sourced from plants that cannot be grown
in the U.S., would in no way advance our
economy,” said Ahmed. “In fact, restrictions
on these products will lead to higher costs
for U.S. producers (many of which are small
businesses), retailers, and every person in
every community in the nation—all without
any accompanying benefit to U.S. industry...
In addition, hundreds of thousands of
American jobs are dependent on scented
products, which require these essential oil
inputs, and could be jeopardized.”
Fragrance Creators is committed
to proactively engaging with USTR
to demonstrate that tariff-related cost
increases compromise the competitiveness
of American manufacturers, threaten
downstream retail jobs and businesses,
and undercut the Administration’s stated
goals by putting U.S. manufacturers at a
competitive disadvantage against other
global manufacturers.
Left to right: Erica Lermond, CEO, The
Lermond Company and Member, Fragrance
Creators’ Board, with Farah Ahmed, President
& CEO, Fragrance Creators. Al Bauer, Vice
President, Citrus and Allied, and Member,
Fragrance Creators Board, with Lermond