Pink Tariffs Cost Women $2 Billion More Than Men, And The Gap Could Widen

• Tariffs on women's clothing are currently 3% higher than those on men's clothing, costing female consumers $2 billion more annually 
• President Trump's new tariff policies are expected to widen that gap, hitting women's pockets harder than men's
• Earlier this year, legislators introduced the Pink Tariffs Study Act, which would force agencies to look at how these gendered policies impact consumers

President Donald Trump's tariffs are sending shockwaves through the economy, threatening to increase the cost of everything from generic drugs to auto parts. Now there's yet another sector where experts are warning consumers will likely see a dramatic increase in cost: women's clothing.

For years, tariffs have been higher on imported women's clothing than on men's. According to research done by the Progressive Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank, tariffs on women's clothing are consistently 3% higher than those on men's. Known as "pink tariffs," these taxes mean women typically pay $1 more per garment than men. Over the course of a year, that adds up to a $2 billion difference in spending.

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The U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule, which divides imported goods into 11,414 lines, typically classifies clothing and footwear imports by gender. In 2022, tariffs on women's items stood at 16.7%, while men's items only faced a 13.6% levy. The few genderless items that sneak through are only subject to a 12% tariff rate.

There's no singular reason for this difference in rate; rather, it’s a policy that has taken shape over decades.

According to CNN, during the 1930s and 1940s, when the global free trading system was just getting started, men's clothing was a much bigger industry than women's clothing. Because it provided far more employment and played a bigger role in our economy, American textile and apparel manufacturers were much more focused on lowering tariffs and ending trade barriers in this sector. Today's tariff gap is a relic of that old battle.

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Modern companies have attempted to rectify this gender bias, but have had little luck. In 2007,  several companies, including Steve Madden, Asics, and Columbia Sportswear, sued to have the policy struck down. The companies lost the case after it was ruled that the tariffs were not designed to be discriminatory.

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But tides may finally be turning. Earlier this year, two members of Congress, Democratic Reps. Lizzie Fletcher of Texas and Brittany Petersen of Colorado introduced the Pink Tariffs Study Act, which would require several government agencies to examine the impact of the gendered tariffs on women and other consumer groups.

For now, though, experts say these increased tariffs on many of the country's closest trading partners will impact women more than men, if for no other reason than women spend more on clothes per year than men. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023, average household spending on women's clothing was $655 compared to $406 for men.

"As he is instituting massive new tariffs, President Trump is missing a chance to tackle historically regressive and misogynistic traits [of the global free trade system]," Steve Lamar, president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, told CNN. 

Lori Taylor, a professor at Texas A&M agreed, telling the outlet, "My policy preference would have been to lower tariffs for both men's and women's clothing" in order to reduce the gap.

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