♪ Music Playing ♪ >> Come up next on "Arizona Horizon", the impact of president trump ending tariff exceptions on goods valued under $800.

Also tonight, details on the anti-defamation league's latest study in fight of against Antisemitism and a global study shows that fresh water is disappearing at alarming rates.

Those stories and more next on "Arizona Horizon."

>> "Arizona Horizon" is made possible by checks from the friends of Arizona PBS.

Members of your public television station.

>> Good evening and welcome to "Arizona Horizon."

I am Ted same your Honor.

Spread trump's December sty toll by bill eliminated the de minimus tax exception which allows shipments to U.S. businesses and consumers valued under $800 to enter the U.S. free of duty and tacks.

The elimination takes effect on August 29th.

And will likely impact a number of industries, most notably shoes and clothing and cosmetics.

and here with us now is Dr. Danielle Testa from ASU's school of design.

He had are also known at fit up >> Is that the tax exception really is?

>> Yes, historically de minimus is let lat town too small to mater so for really small ship thinks it saves time importing to not have to go through the duty process.

>> And when really small shipments we many under $800.

>> Correct.

So historically that value was lower actually was increased to $800.

Around 2015 to actually up crease global trade allow more shipping of good from other countries.

>> Smaller parcels can get into U.S. duty free or will until August 29th.

It sounds like it was a loophole, is it a loophole?

>> You know, you could call it a loophole it's a matter of perspective if you call it a loophole or not.

2015 the value was increased to $800, actually started back in, I want to say 1938 it was about a dollar.

It was meant for trivial items you were bringing into the country.

And it wasn't necessarily thought of as a loophole when it was increase today that value, but it was to encourage economic activity to encourage more items to come in.

So I like to think of things like if you do want to buy a crafted item on etsy from a seller in Germany, you don't have to worry about the duties as a person to person seller.

So it really allowed these sort of cross-country sales to happen.

And that was kind of what this 800-dollar allowed.

Now, it wasn't just for vims it's no big business under 800.

>> Is it the thing that you have to be there when it comes across, is has to be in an individual packet what were the rules?

>> It could be direct to consumer if I am shopping a big retail their took advantage of the da minute plus opportunity with Temu, they sold direct to consumers.

Under eight up, straight to the consumer they were able to utilize that opportunity but could also go to a business if I order something to a small, medium or large business and it was valued under 800 I would be automobile too use that?

If you are ordered something valued under 800 and upped 50 of these things, did you have to order them individually to get under that tax?

>> Yes.

Yes.

You would have to have separate orders and that is something that is being looked at.

In the was was looked a the in the changes before it was completely repealed is there are ways to look at the changing of da minute plus policy if there is so many orders in a time frame.

And honestly part of why I think it was taken away is because there are too many ways to work around this.

If I ordered $800.

3 times in in a day.

>> I want to get to that in a second here.

>> As far as eliminate that go it means something is so too small to martyr if it's five bucks you have to go through the whole process, correct?

>> It United States did.

Everything is now subject to serve it even and duty which has impacts for direct to business.

We talk about in fashion the fast fashion or what I like to think of ultra fast fashion, schein and Temu are selling heal really small parcels direct to consumers and they are all suck.

Her changing their supply chain changing way they manage good, looking a domestic partnerships with importers so they house the good in the u.s. and look how do we move big shipments much like tradition fashion and retailer do it hold it here.

>> If you hold it in a warehouse here and you make sure the point of origin is here, doesn't that mean that this makes sense and you -- mine, 'cause -- that's the goal, is to get more business in America?

>> That is one of the benefits of the change.

It does create -- so you know work policy changes there are many things we can see shifting.

Think about big businesses and how they are impact bad I this, in fashion, these ultra fast fashion brands by schein and Teemu are shifting to more of a traditional fashion retail model.

And it doesn't does create more opportunity for other U.S.-based retailers.

I also like to think of it compared to our other sectors of fashion retail.

I always think of schein and Temu, like I learn the term ultra fast fashion they put out so much product so quickly.

They don't have physical retail stores they are not launching collections or styling product in the way that a lot of traditional fast fashion retailers even still did.

>> Interesting.

>> So they are creating by revoking the de minimis exception, they are leveling the playing field a little bit by requiring this extra attention, creating this landing in the U.S. and also there is a price increase that we will see as consumers.

>> Also not just these companies, but the little person, the person in Romania, making something on he would is a and he have -- when selling something overseas on even bay, those now get affected.

>> Yes.

And that's one of the areas that in the fashion space we are most concerned about is small businesses they are the one that have the hardest time reacting to it.

They are not as versed with global trade policy and if the U.S. isn't a huge part of their business, but they are selling some to the U.S., they are likely to lose some customers if they ship here and the customer goods get held up because the duty wasn't paid on it USPS is captioning the cut.

Her saying you so a duty.

You so an import fee on this good.

And that customer is unhappy that they didn't know.

So it's challenging for these individual retailers.

As we navigate the changes.

>> And nope likes delays, especially when you are ordering online.

Who pays the duty now?

Will the business pay it.

The consumer pay it?

Is it wait and see?

>> Ultimately the consumer pays it.

But it's a matter of when it's baked into the retail price.

>> Eye.

>> Right.

>> So unfortunately that is typically what we are seeing and what grants looking at is putting that into the retail price, that's why we are seeing price increases.

Schein has already increased their prices of roughly 30% across the their website it varies by-product category.

Taking into of course where good are coming from, the different tariff rates, based on property categories thing like that, it does consider in the cost of goods?

>> When it comes through in the cost of good, what does it mean as far as the economy is concerned?

>> So we are already seeing some consumers hold back on shopping a little bit.

They are slowing on shopping.

What's interesting fashion specifically.

Fashion apparel, accessories footwear, prices dropped this summer.

We didn't see a price increase the reason is logical from industry standpoint when we buy good we buy them a year in advance as brands they didn't know there would be changes to policy.

So what happened when summer hit is we took huge mark downs but consumers are unsure and spending comes back a little bit.

It dozen courage some more thought and from a consumption standpoint there is a benefit to that as Welcome you know, we have a consumption kind of problem.

>> We do.

>> As consumers I suppose where we like to buy a lot.

So that mate not be a bad thing where we buy more purposely but it does create that consideration.

>> Last question here, exceptions I guess increase to a billion dollars in 2023.

Ups of millions of packages were getting around this.

As you mentioned the dynamics will change big time is there a ceiling that you could put in there so you don't have to go through all of that?

Is this the be all and send all Do you think it will be addressed sometime down the road by congress?

>> I do.

I don't think there is an end all be all when you talk about policy.

And fashion particularly is always changing, always updating.

Especially fast fashion as a sector that's been affected by this.

It's changed every decade specifically.

>> And I hate to interrupt here because we are running out of time.

But I want to ask you about that.

What purel is not ecomonics here.

What does it mean about fashion Will fashion change in a different way?

>> Definitely.

Fashion is constantly changing.

One of the questions I am asking right now is, is fashion even just what you wear anymore?

If you look at fashion brands they are selling home good, talking about skateboards, luggage, what is fashion?

How are we going to sell it to good.

Will it be the packages that it comes in is also part of the fashion.

And that's part of how we ship it and how we think about what is delivered.

I mean, it's -- fashion in and of itself is the expression, item, how we interact with it it's going to constantly evolve and how we get that good to consumer is one piece of the puzzle.

>> Wow.

Dap yell Testa, ASU fashion industry and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

It's good to have you hear, good information.

>> Thank you for having people fantastic.

♪ Music Playing ♪ >> Stopping at Ahwatukee, old town Scottsdale and central Phoenix.

A little low key for sure the food and the plating especially, really just kind of brought my attention.

>> My mouth is watering.

>> Awesome.

That's an indication that it's good.

>> Thursday night at 7:00 on Arizona PBS.

>> Were you aware that hiking can be healing?

Today we'll make a gorgeous trail in Sedona and spend time learn big yoga and meditation and later we'll chart with experts on how hiking is spending time in nature can benefit us and tour some trails in the beautiful desert botanical gardens, come okay let's take a hike.

>> Thursday on Arizona PBS.

>> Justice never sleeps.

>> I don't think this was an accident.

>> Precisely.

>> Wear good.

Approximate.

>> And all of this is being done in secret.

>> I project of secret keeping.

>> There is a connection here we'll find out what it is.

>> Is it murder?

>> We need something for investigate.

>> You can start there, we have a match.

>> Time is as they say of the essence.

>> Arizona is one of nine states meeting the anti-defamation league standards in fighting Antisemitism.

That's according to a recent report released by ADL they found that hate crimes in the U.S. hit near record levels.

For more on all of this, we welcome Sarah indicator deputy director of the desert region.

Thank for being here.

>> Thanks for having me.

>> One of nine states designated as a leading stayed.

What does that mean?

>> Right.

ADL came out of the JPI, Jewish policy index a practical meaningful tool for policy makers and the community.

To identify where states fighting Antisemitism in the right way at the state house and where there are gaps.

>> 'Cause it sprays you that Arizona was top 10?

>> No.

You know, it really doesn't.

As a -- someone from Arizona, I am really proud of that accomplishment and we have been work really hard apt ADL and the Jew irrelevant community.

>> Again, aligns with ADL recommendations and meets ADL standards for fighting Antisemitism what are the recommendations and standards.

>> Right, the JPI categorized in three different categories is we have prioritizing fighting antisemitism.

Educating about the Jewish experience and and promoting check.

>> I think projecting Jewish community.

>> You got it it.

I am trying to remember the PEP The protecting the Jewish community.

22 criteria within those three, there are 15 core principles and seven bonus.

And we go through each 22 for all of the states.

>> And has Arizona always been -- is this as high as Arizona has been?

Top 10 is pretty good.

>> It is good.

This tool is new.

Just came out.

Okay.

>> Okay as a response to the increase of antisemitism that we have seen.

ADL has this annual audit on antisemitism and last we're was the highest recorded with 9,354 incidents.

>> I want to get to that in a second especially what happened recently in the Phoenix area.

As far as things that Arizona was cited for and noted for.

Laws barring state cot are entities That boy course Israel talk about that.

>> In terms of fighting antisemitism we look at what policies that done that.

Anti BDS statutes done that Arizona hat one on the books for quite statement.

Defining it is a statute that Arizona has had for I've several years.

One gap is the task force at the stat government to combat antisemitism that's something we are hoping Arizona will create.

Air has a 68 out of 100 in the store, 60-100 is leading we are doing well.

There is still room for improvement.

>> 68 gets you in the top 10.

>> That's right.

>> The first iterations of the JPI we wanted to give states the opportunity to evaluate and know legislation takes time.

And sometimes it takes a few years.

>> You talked about the definition, this is adapt by the international holocaust remembrance alliance definition of Antisemitism if I am not mistake.

>> That's right.

>> I did some research.

That's what it show, what does that mean, though, what is that definition?

>> Right, that defines antisemitism as actions against jews that are hateful.

Including harassment and vandalism and assault.

But it also says that criticism against Israeli government is not anti symmetric.

It gives -- makes clear that you can criticize the Israeli government and it will not be antisemitic.

>> Critic says does this include campus rallies in Gaza, how does this work?

>> That's really, real important.

Part of our audit was identifying were protests were Antisemitism and which weren't and I want to be clear that Alan at this Israel protests not by their very nature are Antisemitism.

There were thousands of anti-us role pro effort it at the times most did not land as an Antisemitism Inning ins incident we need to identify certain language, sometimes in these protesters there were swastikas, there were people saying hyle Hitler, but also there might have been using term like globalize the Inning at this Fatah which ADL identified as Antisemitism.

>> There are situations where Israelis are protesting against Israeli action.

>> Just last weak millions of Israelis were in the streets marching about the war asking for the crisis to end, the hostages to come home and aid to flow in.

>> In Arizona 122 something like that, incident last year.

Another incident in the news today regarding a Phoenix Arizona sin dog, to talk to us about that.

>> We did.

That was an individual posting violent threats online and taping up flares allegedly, really awful Antisemitism tropes and these are things that care folks.

And understandably so.

Our audit was for '24 but as you know we had murders of jews this year that will come out in our audit of April of next year in Washington, D.C. and boulder, Colorado and jews are understandably terrified and these incidents make that worse.

>> And these anti-jewish hate crimes at record levels?

Year record levels?

Does it really evening matter?

I mean, they are up there.

>> It does matter.

I think we -- data drives policy at ADL.

We are really looking at what is the real situation.

And you know, the decrease we saw in Arizona was slight.

In 2020, there were 20 incidents of Antisemitism.

>> Really?

>> So this past year being 100 more than that is deeply concerning.

>> You have to look at COVID being maps a factor in 2020.

>> Sure.

But even before 2020, they were even lower than that.

>> Why do you think this is happening?

>> I think there are multiple reasons I think you see this really polorization politically with rhetoric that is deeply divisive.

I think you see social media and the proliferation with these ideas and the radicalization of folks and making it normalized to not only say awful things, but act on them.

>> Yeah.

Yeah.

With that in mind, okay, Arizona one of nine states leading states, and again, 122 incidents not good.

But apparently not bad relatively speaking here.

What do you take?

What do you want people to take from this report?

>> We want policy makers to believe able to look and see the gaps and so that -- and work with us on improving, create a task force, there's opportunities for increased hate crimes legislation that we are hoping to work on in the next legal slates I have session, like I said, there is good but there is room and this JPI for the entire country.

Every state is evaluated.

And we want people to report.

We want people to take things matter seriously and also asking the non-jewish community if they say a swastika somewhere, if they see something Antisemitism, report to ADL.

Call law enforcement be with us in the fate.

>> Does it like you have the law makers Appears more so than in the past?

>> We do.

ADL drafted legal solution to address swatting of synagogues that happened two years ago it was passed it had bipartisan support the governor signed it and that protected not only Jewish institutions but all places of worship including churches and mosques and schools so we really are seeing policy makers care about this issue.

On both sides of the aisle.

And we look forward to working with them.

>> Sarah Kader ADL desert region.

Good informing and thank you so much for sharing, good to he saw again.

>> Thank you.

♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ ♪ Music Playing ♪ >> I am Jeff Bennett, tonight on the news hour, NATO leaders plan what role U.S. and European forces could play in the future defense of Ukraine, that is ate 6:00 on Arizona PBS.

>> A new global study shows that freshwater is disappearing at alarming rates think research using 20 years of satellite data reveals unprecedented continental drying.

Jay Famiglietti with ASU's school of sustainability joins us now.

Jay, it's good to see you again This is a new study.

This is not good.

First of all, when we talk about freshwater, what exactly are we talking about?

>> So we are talking about the water on land or in the ice sheets.

As for today ocean and then on land talking about snow and ice and soil moisture, surface water in the rivers and reservoirs and groundwater.

>> The research used like, what, 20 yards of satellite data.

Talk to us more about that.

That's fascinating.

>> It's very cool data.

It's data from NASA's gravity recovery and climate experiment or Grace mission which has been running since 2002.

And it allows us to track the changes around the world in all of the water that's available.

On a monthly basis and then when we lack over the 22 years we can look at the long-term trends and that's a lot of what we respect odd in that study.

>> What does the satellite date show.

A lot of aquifers wouldn't be difficult to see?

>> Yeah.

So that's the beauty of using the gravity data by the way, it's a gravity mission, it's actually weighing storage changes, rather than seeing something on the surface it's weighing the changes of water mass that enter or leave the area.

That's how we can get a ground water.

But some of key findings of the paper were, the continents are drying at a rapid clip and the areas that are drying, the areas where the drying is occurring expanding two times the area of California each year.

That water is ending up in the ocean.

And driving up sea level rise.

And when we look across the world, we are seeing that about 75% of the population lives in the 101 countries, that have lost freshwater over the last 22 years.

>> Something you mentioned as counterintuitive is losing freshwater, sea levels increase.

>> Right.

>> How does that dynamic Work?

>> Not that many places where water can go on the earth.

It's frozen in the ice sheets in Greenland and apt arc chasm there is water.ocean, there is water on the continents and water in atmosphere but not very much.

But by comparison, to the ice sheets and the ocean and the land.

The atmosphere doesn't store very much.

And there is really only one place that water is going to go when it leaves the continents or green land or Antarctica.

Through run off through melting, through evacuation it end goes up in the ocean.

>> Interesting.

Arizona desert southwest.

I can't imagine the picture is very good.

>> It's not only in Arizona, but across we talk about the Mega drying region of southwestern North America, so it's not just the southwestern U.S. it expends down into Mexico as well.

And so we are right in the crosshairs of this drying and climate change and they need to protect ground water.

>>> I read from the report that the dry areas, they are drying out faster than the wet areas are getting wetter are, correct?

>> That's right.

The areas that are getting cryer.

Growing and so by definition the areas getting wetter are getting smaller.

>> Only the tropics are doing well.

>> That's right.

That's right.

>> Yeah.

So what do we do?

Besides ringing our hands here, what can be one?

>> So that's an excellent question.

And I have been ringing my hands for most of my career trying to figure out how to get this message out.

I think public awareness is important.

At all levels from the general public.

To our environmental managers, resource managers, in our elected officials around the world.

Until the United States, in places like Arizona we are thinking very carefully and acting on improving our ground water management.

So that's positive.

Because that needs to be done.

The real challenge I think is internationally, how do well straight what we talk about in the paper, the loss of freshwater the rapid changes.

How do well straight it to the level which we talk about carbon dioxide that's a chewing huge challenge.

>> But I imagine if you what to explain as far as food and water security concerns it drifts into the consciousness.

>> Shot are really, really important leverage.

Helping people understand why this is important.

It's more than just an academic research paper.

It affects the food that's on your table.

Rate?

It affects your national security.

Your international relationships.

It's water.

It's everywhere.

>> You have described this as an all-hands on deck moment.

And in is a research paper and sometimes research papers gather dust on shelfs and other times people see them.

They use them and act on them.

What do you want to see done with this research?

>> So I want to see I want to sigh things happen statewide.

Not just Arizona all states.

Carefully about ground water management.

Globally I would like to see more discussion of water.

And water security in the UNIPCC in that climate change framework we talk about the cop meetings need to talk about water long side of carbon and alongside of food at those meetings.

>> Interesting, Jay Famiglietti, again ASU school of sustainability.

I hope people are start to go pay attention.

>> I hope so.

Let's say that they really need to.

>> All right good to have you here.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Thank you.

That's it for now, I am Ted Simons thank you so much for joining us, you have a great evening.

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