Government Relations

The National Retail Federation released the following statement from NRF Vice President and Employee Benefits Policy Counsel Neil Trautwein:

The National Council of Chain Restaurants today issued the following statement from Executive Director Rob Green on Environmental Protection Agency’s decision not to grant a waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard mandate:

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 5.9 percent in November despite the temporary closure of some ports by super-storm Sandy, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by NRF and Hackett Associates.

NRF today said it will explore all legal options following a judge’s preliminary approval of a proposed class-action settlement of an antitrust lawsuit over the $30 billion a year in credit card swipe fees charged by Visa and MasterCard.

The National Retail Federation today released the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay on the re-election of President Obama:

NRF and more than a dozen of the nation’s most prominent retailers today asked a judge to reject a proposed class-action settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit, saying it would not bring credit card swipe fees charged by Visa and MasterCard under control and does not give retailers who oppose it an adequate mechanism to opt out.

The National Retail Federation said a revised antitrust settlement filed in federal court today scarcely begins to address retailers’ concerns about credit card swipe fees charged by Visa and MasterCard that cost consumers close to $30 billion a year.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 9.9 percent in October as merchants wrap up the annual shipping cycle for holiday merchandise, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by NRF and Hackett Associates.

Coming on the heels of the first presidential debate, the National Retail Federation today launched a grassroots get-out-the-vote initiative, Retail Means Votes. The new, non-partisan effort dedicated to educating and engaging America’s retail industry, which supports 42 million American jobs, is designed to encourage retail’s active participation in the elections.

With the first anniversary of debit card swipe fee reform approaching next week, U.S. retailers and their customers are benefiting from savings of up to $18 million a day that previously went to card companies and the nation’s largest banks, the National Retail Federation estimates.

The National Retail Federation today released the following statement from Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold on news that the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) have extended their contract negotiations:

In a letter to House and Senate leaders, a group of associations representing merchants of all sizes across all segments of the merchant community highlighted the reasons behind the growing opposition to a proposed settlement of long-standing antitrust lawsuits filed by merchants against Visa, MasterCard and the nation’s largest banks.

NRF told a congressional panel federal agencies have used too much informal guidance and not enough formal rulemaking in developing regulations to implement the new health care reform law, complicating retailers’ and other employers’ ability to plan for what will be required in 2014.

The National Retail Federation today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the Federation to go to court to block the proposed $7.25 billion settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit over skyrocketing Visa and MasterCard credit card swipe fees that cost consumers hundreds of dollars a year.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 8.5 percent in September compared with the same month last year, and strong increases are expected into the holiday season despite talk of a possible strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by NRF and Hackett Associates.

NRF urged labor and management to return to the table in negotiations for a new East Coast and Gulf Coast longshoremen’s contract, saying retailers heading into the crucial holiday season will be forced to divert cargo elsewhere in a matter of days.

NRF said the Securities and Exchange Commission had responded to some retail industry concerns about new regulations requiring publicly traded companies to determine whether their products contain “conflict” minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo but that it was too soon to determine the full impact of the regulations on retailers.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 6.3 percent in August compared with the same month last year, and 2012 should show an increase of 4.8 percent over last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by NRF and Hackett Associates.

The National Retail Federation, in partnership with its member companies, today announced the launch of the Integrated Mobile Initiative (IMI), a first-of-its-kind, initiative that will serve as the single source for information about the challenges and opportunities that exist within mobile retailing.