What's the Tariff on Underwear / Socks?

Underwear and socks face a 44% tariff that functions as a tax on essentials — these are non-discretionary purchases that consumers cannot meaningfully delay or reduce. China and Bangladesh together produce over 70% of US underwear and sock imports, with massive factories in Guangdong and Dhaka churning out billions of units for Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, and Calvin Klein. The tariff is acutely regressive: lower-income households spend a higher percentage of clothing budgets on basics. A 6-pack of socks going from $15 to $21.60 may seem incremental, but multiplied across a family's annual basics needs, the cost is significant. Hanes Brands (which also owns Champion) operates some US manufacturing in Winston-Salem, NC, but domestic capacity covers only a fraction of demand. The tariff may paradoxically concentrate the market further — large brands can absorb costs that destroy smaller competitors. Bangladesh's hosiery industry, employing 500,000 workers, faces demand destruction that could push factories toward European markets instead.