September 19: Vietnam is set to delay ratifying a massive U.S.-led Pacific trade pact until next year, as anxiety rises over the fate of the deal in Congress with America’s presidential election campaign exacerbating an anti-free trade mood. (Source: Bloomberg)

September 15: President Obama on Wednesday signed a proclamation to reinstate Myanmar’s eligibility to participate in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, which allows certain goods from developing countries to enter the United States duty free. The reinstatement of Myanmar (Burma) to the program will take effect Nov. 13. (Source: American Shipper)

September edition: ... Apparel, footwear, and accessories—and all their inputs—are some of the most globally traded items on the planet today. Access to global suppliers and to global markets is critical for the competitiveness of our industry and for the ability of our companies to keep approximately four million U.S. workers employed. (Source: Fashion Mannuscript, column by AAFA's Stephen Lamar)

September 19: A South Korean bankruptcy court on Monday ordered Hanjin Shipping Co. to return the ships it charters back to their owners and to sell as many of its own ships as possible, in the strongest signal yet that the debt-ridden Korean carrier will be either liquidated or turned into a much smaller company. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

September 17: ... Welcome to the Hanjin Shipping shutdown, sluggishly making its way through the courts after throwing the international supply chain into a tailspin. Some experts, many who had long seen the demise of the world’s seventh-largest container shipper on the horizon, expect more stormy seas ahead for the industry. (Source: Los Angeles Daily News)

September 19: E-commerce website Alibaba is not doing enough to tackle fake goods, according to WIPR readers. ... Responding to WIPR’s most recent survey, 80% of respondents said they did not believe the e-commerce website was doing enough to reduce the number of counterfeits on its sites. (Source: World Intellectual Property Review)

September 16: An investigation by World Trademark Review has uncovered new tactics being implemented by counterfeit sellers in response to more stringent anti-counterfeiting policies on online marketplaces. ... Yupoo is a Chinese image-based social network, allowing users to upload and arrange digital photos in galleries and collections. A Google search for "Yupoo" demonstrates that a frequent use of the site for Western audiences is sourcing fake goods – with profiles selling counterfeits appearing on the first page of results. (Source: World Trademark Review)

In Brief
AAFA celebrates office opening: AAFA celebrated the opening of its new headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. on September 13. We welcomed many friends and colleagues during an office opening reception, featuring remarks and a ribbon cutting by AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein and Chairman Rob DeMartini. Articles regarding the opening were featured in WWD and Footwear News.

 Click image for additional photos.

Hanjin Shipping update: AAFA has been closely tracking the ever-changing circumstances following the Hanjin Shipping bankruptcy and its impact on members, as well as ramping up pressure on the U.S. government to take action to help resolve the situation. As part of these ongoing efforts, AAFA hosted a call with Mario Cordero, Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) and Ken O'Brien from Gemini Shippers Group on Monday, September 19. Members can click here to access the recording (login required).

Letters, comments, and testimony: Tomorrow and Thursday, the TPP Apparel Coalition and members of its constituent trade associations will meet with more than 45 House members to discuss the benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and urge its approval this year.

Congress and government agencies solicit comments on a range of issues that may affect your business – find a list of comment opportunities here.

Member Welcome: Global Clothing Industries, LLC

Global Clothing Industries, LLC is one of the largest, most reliable suppliers of recycled textiles in the world. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, the company exports used clothing, shoes, industrial wiping rags, and accessories to more than 40 countries in around the globe. See the website and company video here.

Visit our events calendar for all webinars and industry events. Be sure to save the date for AAFA's Executive Summit: March 1-3, 2017. 

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