Macy's becomes latest to cut ties with Donald Trump

By Nathan Layne (Reuters) - Department store Macy's Inc said on Wednesday that it would end its business relationship with Donald Trump, becoming the latest company to sever ties with the real estate developer and TV personality after his comments insulting Mexicans. Macy's said it would phase-out Trump's menswear collection, which includes shirts, ties, cufflinks and suits and have been sold by the department store since 2004. "Macy's is a company that stands for diversity and inclusion. We have no tolerance for discrimination in any form," the company said in a statement. "In light of statements made by Donald Trump, which are inconsistent with Macy's values, we have decided to discontinue our business relationship with Mr. Trump." Trump fired back, saying in a statement that it was his decision to end ties with Macy's "because of the pressure being put on them by outside sources." He added that he was not happy that his products were being made in China. "While selling Trump ties and shirts at Macy's is a small business in terms of dollar volume, my principles are far more important and therefore much more valuable," the Trump Organisation said. In a Twitter post, Trump urged followers to stop shopping at the department store: "Those who believe in tight border security, stopping illegal immigration & SMART trade deals w/other countries should boycott @Macys." Macy's follows a handful of television networks in severing ties with Trump after he described migrants from Mexico to the United States as drug-runners and rapists in a June 16 speech seeking the Republican nomination for president. One of those was Univision, which last week pulled the July 12 Miss USA pageant, partly owned by Trump. On Tuesday, Trump filed a $500 million lawsuit against the Spanish-language TV network for dropping the event. Macy's decision also follows pressure from outside groups. As of Wednesday morning, more than 700,000 people had signed a MoveOn.org petition calling on Macy's to cut ties. Hispanics Across America (HAA) and Presente.org, an online Latino organisation, issued statements about the move. "Donald Trump is finding out that Hispanics have real power, and it's not just political power; it's economic power," HAA Chairman Fernando Mateo said. Trump branded merchandise is sold at a number of online retailers, including on the websites of eBay, Amazon.com and Overstock Com. eBay declined to comment. Representatives from Amazon and Overstock were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Nathan Layne in Chicago, Mari Saito in San Francisco and Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Plumb and Alan Crosby)