June 20: House Speaker Paul D. Ryan launched a major push Tuesday to overhaul the tax code this year — including massive cuts — but Republicans in Congress and the White House are running out of time as they continue to battle over the details. ... There still is no tax bill in the House or the Senate as disputes among Republicans remain unresolved, particularly whether to enact a controversial border tax. ( Source: Chicago Tribune)
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June 19: Alarmed by the stalemate on healthcare reform, lack of progress on tax reform and appropriations bills that are far behind schedule, Republican lawmakers across Congress are increasingly willing to consider canceling the month-long August recess. ( Source: The Hill)
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June 16: ... BAT, NAFTA, China and Mexico have commanded the lion’s share of attention on the Hill when it comes to trade, but little has been said about the repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act, which would also eliminate regulations for conflict minerals altogether. ... "If Congress approves the Financial CHOICE Act as currently written, and President Trump signs it into law, the conflict mineral regulation would be eliminated. As a result, the industry would no longer be required to file annual conflict mineral reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission," [said Nate Herman, senior vice president of supply chain for the American Apparel & Footwear Association]. (Source: Sourcing Journal – article unlocked)
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June 15: ... "For an industry that is as import dependent" as clothing and fashion, the border tax proposal "is a killer," said Steve Lamar, of the American Apparel & Footwear Association ... Lamar said that while there are many political obstacles that could prevent a border tax from becoming law, if passed it could result in apparel importers paying more in tax than they make in profit on an item. (Source: NorthJersey.com)
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June 19: A group representing some of the largest apparel brands in the U.S., including Gap and Levi Strauss, are urging Prime Minister Hun Sen to reconsider controversial provisions in a pair of draft laws on wages and labor disputes. Local unions have already raised alarms about a draft law that would establish a system for setting a national minimum wage, with proposals to ban wage-related research without prior consent and any efforts to promote opposition to the wage itself. ... "... we are concerned that the draft law seeks to limit research and discussion surrounding the minimum wage to just the workings of the Labor Advisory Council," [said Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association]. (Source: The Cambodia Daily)
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June 17: From Hermès to Gucci, brands are using vertical integration to safeguard the supply of expensive materials by acquiring farms of Merino sheep, crocodile, alligator and python. (Source: Business of Fashion)
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June 15: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to reduce barriers to apprenticeships, testing whether a system that has long delivered good-paying jobs to American construction workers might help other businesses bridge skills gaps. The White House is making apprenticeships the cornerstone of its workforce-training efforts, arguing that hands-on learning is the best approach to prepare Americans for in-demand jobs. ( Source: Wall Street Journal)
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June 13: Are designers cashing in on the stereotype that women love shoes more than men? A new study by Datafiniti found that high-end shoe designers charge on average several hundred dollars more for women’s footwear than men’s footwear. ( Source: Vamp Footwear)
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June 19: American homes are brimming with products made in China. This week, Alibaba Group Holding chairman Jack Ma will put on a show to help U.S. entrepreneurs flip the script. In a two-day event starting Tuesday in Detroit, the e-commerce giant will offer an expected 3,000 U.S. small-business owners tips on how to market and ship their wares to Chinese consumers. ... One continuing issue is the presence of counterfeits on Alibaba’s Taobao site, which features products primarily sold by small businesses and consumers. (Source: Wall Street Journal)
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June 18: On the morning of Tuesday, June 13th, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet held a hearing titled Examining the Supreme Court’s TC Heartland Decision. The day’s hearing focused on whether Congress needed a legislative solution in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC on the statute governing venue in patent infringement cases. ( Source: IP Watchdog)
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June 14: Instagram said it will add a new "paid partnership with" sub-header on sponsored posts and stories — a move that comes two months after the Federal Trade Commission sent out letters to dozens of celebrities warning them that their paid posts on the platform didn’t include sufficient disclosures. ( Source: Variety)
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In Brief
AAFA in the news: Last week, AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein joined CNBC's Squawk Alley to discuss Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods earlier in the day and the impact it may have on retail.
AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein
speaking with CNBC Squawk Alley.
Click image to watch.
Letter advocating for extension of West Coast port labor contract: On June 13, AAFA joined 120 organizations in sending a letter applauding the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) for agreeing to early discussions on a contract extension.
See all of AAFA’s latest letters, comments, and testimony here.
Congress and government agencies solicit comments on a range of issues that may affect your business – find a list of comment opportunities here.
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July
July 11 Brand Protection Council Meeting
July 12 Government Relations Committee Meeting
July 18 Environmental Committee Meeting
July 19 Trust, Verify, Repeat: A Traceability Seminar
July 20 Social Responsibility Committee Meeting
July 26 Webinar: Licensing - Protecting Your Brand's Reputation
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Past AAFA webinars are now available in our new Learning Center! See what you can learn today.
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Trade
