*By Alisha Haridasani*
First daughter Ivanka Trump shut down her eponymous clothing brand on Tuesday as consumer disapproval of her father caused sales to suffer.
“After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when, or if, I will ever return to the business,” Trump said in a statement. “My focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here.”
In 2017, Trump joined the White House as a senior adviser and [abdicated](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/01/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-resign-sell-assets) her executive role at the brand to avoid conflicts of interests, elevating Abigail Klem to company chief.
Even after Trump left the company, activists urged shoppers to boycott her products and the various retailers that carried it. Nordstrom and Canada's Hudson's Bay, which owns Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue, eventually dropped the brand for poor performance.
Watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington alleged in May that even after her Washington appointment, Trump was still receiving [profit](https://www.citizensforethics.org/ivanka-trumps-business-wins-approval-for-more-china-trademarks/) from the brand and benefiting from the administration's latest policies.
Ethical concerns against Trump were first raised in 2016 when she retained control of her company during her father's campaign and wore her own products to high-profile events, presumably promoting her brand.
Trump's company is among the many businesses in her father's stable and presents regulators with the unique challenge of monitoring the first family's politics and business gains.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Hear from Gabino & Stephen Roche on Saphyre’s institutional AI platform that centralizes pre‑ and post‑trade data, redefining settlement speed and accuracy.
Elon Musk’s X has reached a tentative settlement with former employees of the company then known as Twitter who’d sued for $500 million in severance pay.
