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The National Retail Federation urged the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to avoid 25 percent tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese goods and released a new study examining key product categories and the negative impact on American consumers.

Retail sales rose 0.5 percent in May seasonally adjusted from April and up 3.2 percent unadjusted year-over-year, the National Retail Federation said. The numbers exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants.

A veteran member of the loss prevention community and a Department of Homeland Security investigator will be honored for their efforts to protect the retail industry during the National Retail Federation’s annual NRF PROTECT conference in Anaheim, Calif.

Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to continue to grow this summer as retailers stock up inventory to get ahead of higher tariffs, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Theft, fraud and losses from other retail “shrink” totaled $50.6 billion in 2018, up from $46.8 billion the year before as industry security executives said there is a growing overlap between loss prevention and cybersecurity efforts, according to the annual National Retail Security Survey released by the National Retail Federation and the University of Florida.

The growing tariff bill paid by U.S. businesses and consumers is adding up and will raise the cost of living for American families.

Americans are expected to spend more than ever on gifts for Father’s Day this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insight & Analytics. Total spending for the holiday is estimated to reach $16 billion, up from last year’s $15.3 billion.

The National Retail Federation issued a statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay after the Trump administration announced plans to lift steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico. 

Retail sales were down 0.2 percent in April from March but up 5.2 percent year-over-year as weather conditions, slower tax returns and the housing market affected spending.

NRF says the Trump administration's plan to expand tariffs to cover all products imported from China "is far too great a gamble" for the U.S. economy and will drive up costs for consumers while threatening American jobs.