National
The US government says women’s underwear should cost more than men’s
(CNN) — A new report about tariffs on underwear finds that when it comes to tax rates, women are getting shorts-changed.
The average US tariff rate on women’s undergarments is 15.5%, compared to just 11.5% for men’s. That means women are being charged a tax that’s 35% higher than what their male counterparts pay, according to Ed Gresser, a former US trade official and current director for Trade and Global Markets at the Progressive Policy Institute.
“Worst Valentine’s Day surprise ever,” wrote Gresser in his report, as he estimated that the current US tariff system adds about $1.10 to each pair of women’s underwear and about $0.75 to men’s.
“America is unique in taxing women’s underwear more heavily than men’s,” Gresser wrote, although the US tariff rates as a whole fall roughly in line with international counterparts.
Most international tariff systems have flat rates applying to all underwear, regardless of gender. In Australia, that rate is 5%; it’s 10% in New Zealand; 18% in Canada; 20% in Colombia and Jamaica; 25% in India, 30% in Thailand, and 45% in South Africa.
In Japan and the European Union, women are actually taxed at a lower rate. There’s no additional tax in Japan, while the EU levies a tariff of 6.5% on bras and corsets in Europe compared with flat rates of 9% and 12% for the rest.
A lacy dilemma
Shopping for lingerie in the United States presents the rare case when the best deal isn’t the no-frills one. Literally.
Tariffs on US underwear are regressive, meaning that cheap materials tend to be taxed more than fancy, expensive fabrics. That likely comes from US manufacturers feeling more threatened by overseas competitors making cheap undies for the masses, as opposed to luxury goods.
Silk underwear is taxed at just 2.1% for women and 0.9% for men. But cotton underthings see an increase of 7.6% for women and 7.4% for men, while synthetic polyester sees the heaviest tax rate at 16% for women and 14.9% for men.
The bottom line
When people discuss the “pink tax,” they’re usually talking about markups on products like razors and shampoos targeted to women, not an actual tax. This is a more literal example of systematic gender disparity.
The tariff problem extends beyond underwear. A study from the US International Trade Commission found that across all apparel products, two-thirds of the total tariff burden comes from women’s apparel products.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
By: Pristine Villarreal
February 13, 2023
Latest Instagram Posts
Salton city resident Abraham Feinbloom is expected to take a plea deal in the murder case of 17 year old T’Neya Tovar. Under the plea deal obtained by the Imperial County Criminal Courthouse, Feinbloom will plead guilty to one count of torture and voluntary manslaughter. According to court records, he is also expected to assist law enforcement in finding the rest of the victim’s remains. Our @newsbyalondra will be inside the courtroom for his official sentencing Tuesday, September 29th with the very latest.
“Of you can’t find things out as a Board President… then what are they hiding?” Why is the elected board president being blocked from financial records? Drop your thoughts below👇 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #coachella #localnews #nbcpalmsprings
After AB 1145 (also known as Tristin’s Bill) was signed into law, NBC Palm Springs @maria_nvtv is giving more information about the law and what this means for the future of transportation in California #Highway74 #RoadSafety #CoachellaValley #Anza #RiversideCounty
Pregame update from Tim O’Brien ahead of tonight’s preseason matchup between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Ontario Reign. Tim has the latest from Acrisure Arena as the Firebirds get set for tonight’s game. UPDATE: Firebirds #CVFirebirds #CoachellaValleyFirebirds #OntarioReign #AHL #Hockey PalmSprings CoachellaValley
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will be 1) Xzavier Hernandez with the dot towards the back of the endzone, 2) Jesse Rodriguez with the 50 plus yard TD throw, 3) Trace Vargas with the diving TD, 4) Ryan Rumsey with the screen pass TD, making guys miss, or 5) Moyses Aguilar with the pick #fyp #fnl2026 #hondaofthedesert #highschoolfootball #fridaynightlights
Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
⚡️ TOP STORY: A man is recovering after he was struck by lightning. Firefighters battled a brush fire along Snow Creek Road, while another lightning strike in Chino Canyon sent a man to the hospital. If you hear thunder, stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after the last rumble. #PalmSprings #Lightning #FireSafety
🚨 Chasing that year-round “summer glow”? A social media tanning trend involving the unapproved peptide melanotan-2 is raising serious safety concerns. Dermatologists say safer sunless tanning options are available. ☀️ #YourHealthToday #SkinHealth #Melanotan2 #TanningSafety
Palm Springs firefighters responded Thursday to a report of a person struck by lightning in the Chino Canyon area. The person was transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Firefighters also responded to a palm tree fire in Chino Canyon that officials say was caused by an apparent lightning strike. NBC Palm Springs News Director David Reese is in the neighborhood tonight knocking on doors and trying to learn more about what happened. Did you see the lightning strike? Did you hear or see anything unusual? Do you know who was struck or have information that could help us understand what happened? We’d like to hear from you. Send us a DM here or contact NBC Palm Springs if you witnessed the incident or have information to share. #PalmSprings #ChinoCanyon #Lightning #PalmSpringsNews #NBCPalmSprings CoachellaValley BreakingNews
Fred Roggin’s response? Show us the receipts! #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings