A Texas lawmaker is among those who sent a letter to the U.S Treasury Secretary urging the department to examine how President Donald Trump’s tariffs disproportionately cost women more than men.

U.S. Reps. Lizzie Fletcher, a Houston Democrat, and Brittany Pettersen, of Colorado, sent a letter this past week on behalf of the Democratic Women's Caucus to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent citing research into “pink tariffs.”

Pink tariffs, similar to the “pink tax,” refer to how the U.S tariff system imposes higher taxes on women’s clothing and razors than men’s products. Fletcher and fellow caucus members argued the disparity is adding unfair burdens to working mothers and families.

“All mothers deserve to afford basic needs such as groceries and clothing for their children,” the letter said. “Our country’s own tariff system should not financially punish women for purchasing goods. During these uncertain economic times, we must uplift women and working families, not further financially burden them.”

The letter cites research from the left-leaning think tank the Progressive Policy Institute

Progressive Policy Institute, in which Edward Gresser, vice president and director for trade and global markets, and Elaine Wei, a former fellow, found tariff rates on women’s clothing are on average nearly 3 percentage points higher than the average for men’s. It also cites a 2018 paper from the U.S International Trade Commission in which authors found tariff rates for women average at about 15%, compared to 12% for men. 

The authors also found that U.S consumers spend twice as much money on women’s clothing than on men’s clothing. Since a large share of clothing is imported, the addition of higher tariffs on women’s clothing creates a “significantly higher share of total tariff burden compared to men,” authors wrote.

Fletcher and Pettersen introduced the "Pink Tariffs Study Act" in March, which if passed, would require congress to investigate political gender bias in the U.S tariff system.

Read this article in the Houston Chronicle.