December 12: China complained to the World Trade Organization to force the U.S. and European Union to stop using example prices from other nations in anti-dumping probes on its goods. China began dispute settlement procedures with the WTO to drop the so-called analogue-country model that its two biggest trading partners have used in past disputes, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website Monday. The move highlights China’s determination to win full WTO rights 15 years after joining the global trade arbiter. (Source: Bloomberg)

December 8: In a series of tweets on Dec. 4, Donald Trump proposed punishing American companies that move production overseas with an import tariff of as much as 35 percent on the sale of goods back into the United States. The justification for these measures was to keep U.S. companies from moving overseas. But is this argument justified? Would such a tariff — even if Trump could overcome expected Republican resistance — keep companies from leaving the United States? What other effects might it have? (Source: Washington Post)

December 8: The incoming Senate minority leader along with other Democrats and organized labor are trying to drive a wedge between congressional Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump over the issue of outsourcing. The potential for common ground between Trump and Democrats is getting an early test, with Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York pushing Trump to weigh in against the move by House Republicans to exclude "Buy America" language from a water infrastructure bill. ... Schumer appeared with Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, as well as Center for American Progress Action Fund CEO Neera Tanden and Leo Gerard of the United Steelworkers at the Capitol to launch a new effort to keep track of American jobs eliminated as a result of moves overseas. (Source: Roll Call)

December 12: To say the least, 2016 has been an eventful year characterized by unexpected developments, including Brexit and its wide-ranging ramifications and a few months later, the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United states. Both have left textile and apparel industry pundits wondering what the year 2017 will hold for them. ... Some global suppliers are full of trepidation, fearing their exports could face hurdles in the U.S. market. Following is a brief review of the general outlook from some of the world's leading textile/apparel supplying nations ... (Source: Apparel Magazine)

December 7: A group representing the broad swath of the maritime user supply chain asked federal maritime regulators [Wednesday] to set policies preventing steamship lines and marine terminal operators from charging what the group called "unfair fees" for late port pickups due to events such as strikes, bad weather, or carrier bankruptcies. The "Coalition for Fair Port Practices" told the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) that its members face "demurrage" charges even when events beyond their control make it impossible to pick up import containers after they've been unloaded. (Source: DCVelocity)

November 30: Warning labels are everywhere. ... But are our current warnings effective? Do they convey sufficient information for individuals to balance the risks and benefits? Our answer is a resounding "no." Our reasoning is that the present system fails miserably at distinguishing between large and small risks. (Source: Harvard Business Review)

December 13: The White House has released a new document that details actions to guide federal agencies on the implementation of intellectual property policies over the next three years. The Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement sets four goals for the federal government and one of them is to increase national awareness of the social and economic impacts of IP rights infringement and trade secrets misappropriation, Danny Marti, U.S. intellectual property enforcement coordinator, wrote in a blog post published Monday. (Source: ExecutiveGov)

December 13: A Chinese state-backed consumer group says almost 17 percent of discounts offered during the country's multi-billion dollar Singles' Day online sale event were fake, calling on the government to intervene and punish platforms and merchants. A report released by the Chinese Consumers' Association on Monday says companies, including Alibaba Holdings Ltd and Amazon Inc, were guilty of hiking prices before the shopping festival, held annually on Nov. 11, in an attempt to lure customers with sharp discounts. (Source: Reuters)

December 8: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center is applauding a ruling handed down today in favor of NBA legend Michael Jordan in a long-fought legal battle with China’s Qiaodan Sports Co. "We welcome the Supreme People’s Court decision that recognizes the importance of intellectual property rights," Mark Elliot, EVP of GIPC, said in a statement. "The court has called an intentional foul and sent a clear message of deterrence to those who file trademarks in bad faith." (Source: Footwear News)

In Brief
Supporting the Joint Strategic Plan for Intellectual Property Enforcement: Today, AAFA expressed its support for the Joint Strategic Plan released by the White House Office of the Intellectual Property Coordinator released Monday. The report provides the blueprint for intellectual property enforcement by the Federal Government during the next three years. The full report is available here.

Urging Federal Maritime Commission to reign in excessive demurrage fees: On December 7, AAFA and 24 other organizations petitioned the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to use its existing authority to establish a policy to prevent ocean carriers and terminal operators from charging shippers unreasonable and excessive demurrage fees for situations beyond the shipper's control — such as extreme weather, port strikes/slowdowns, and ocean carrier bankruptcies. See the petition here.

Tax code member discussion: On December 14, we’ll host the next member-only webinar: What Do the "Border Adjustability" Tax Proposals Mean for You? to discuss the potential overhaul of the U.S. tax code as one of President-elect Trump's first items of business in the coming year. Register here to join us. Check out additional AAFA webinars and events below.

Product safety resources reminder: AAFA's Product Safety Council (PSC) provides updates on industry best practices and national and international regulatory compliance developments. PSC members develop industry tools that help apparel and footwear companies navigate current and future product safety regulations. Did you know? AAFA maintains a list of every fashion and fashion-accessory related notice for the past six years in the AAFA Prop 65 "60-Day Notice" running list. AAFA also maintains a list of all apparel or footwear related recalls since 1975. Join the PSC and AAFA’s other committees here. 

Questions about AAFA’s product safety resources, including our popular Restricted Substances List (RSL)? Contact Danielle Iverson.

December & January Dec. 14 Member-only Webinar: What Do the "Border Adjustability" Tax Proposals Mean for You? Dec. 15 Webinar: Counterfeits on the Rise - Challenges and Best Practices Jan. 24 What’s on Your Customers’ Shelf? The Latest on Compliance and Restricted Chemicals  Be sure to save the date for AAFA's Executive Summit: March 1-3, 2017 at the impressive Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars and industry events.

AAFA Members: Join us for a conversation with AAFA Board Leadership  Pictured: Rob DeMartini, AAFA Chairman Paula Zusi, AAFA Vice Chairman Join the call on January 12!