July 8: Leaders from the Group of 20 countries vowed Saturday to fight protectionism and secure fair trade, finding a broad consensus after President Donald Trump’s defiantly unilateral stance exposed a rift between the world’s leading economies. In light of the broad political pushback against globalization and the rise in antiestablishment forces in recent years, however, the G-20 stepped back from an unequivocal commitment to free trade for the first time since its inaugural summit in 2008. ... In another unprecedented move, the group broke from unanimity in its final communiqué, splitting off the U.S. position on climate change from that of the other members. ( Source: Wall Street Journal)
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July 5: ... The retail industry, in a joint submission from the American Apparel & Footwear Association, National Retail Federation, Retail Industry Leaders Association, and U.S. Fashion Industry Association, argued that revoking AGOA benefits would stymie growth in the three countries under review ... AAFA executive vice president Steve Lamar told Inside U.S. Trade in an interview that the bottom line for AAFA's member companies is that "the trade relationship continues uninterrupted." Lamar added that member companies generally support AGOA and also have investments and trade relationships in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. ( Source: Inside U.S. Trade – article unlocked)
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June 30: NAFTA is headed for a renegotiation. Changes could range from adjustments to the rules of origin for product content, and more-stringent labor standards, to the extreme of withdrawal and a return to World Trade Organization most-favored-nation tariffs. ... Successful companies thrive in uncertainty by incorporating change into their strategy. Leadership teams can limit the negative consequences of a possible NAFTA withdrawal and currency moves by adopting an approach that anticipates several future scenarios. ( Source: Harvard Business Review)
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July 7: About 2,000 Kenyan youth are set to be trained and be employed in the textile industry following the signing of a grant between the US government and a Kenyan firm. ... signing of the grant is also the official kick-off of the [USAid East Africa Trade and Investment Hub's] "East Africa Cotton, Textile and Apparel Workforce Development Initiative," a collaborative effort with the private sector based on a partnership agreement with the American Apparel and Footwear Association. (Source: Business Daily)
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July 7: The trillion-dollar global shipping industry may soon be forced to curb greenhouse gas emissions under new rules backed by the European Union and China. Over 200 representatives convened this week at the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations shipping supervisor based in London, to discuss regulation that could turn their industry, currently responsible for as much as 3 percent of the world’s emissions, into a zero-carbon operation by the second half of the century. (Source: Bloomberg)
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July 6: ... On Tuesday, 75 businesses and representative organizations, including G-Star Raw and the Foreign Trade Association (FTA), signed a sustainable garment and textile sector agreement. Developed by the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER), this is the first in a series of agreements that aim to improve the sustainability of global garment supply chains ( Source: Sourcing Journal – article unlocked)
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July 10: The news headlines are becoming ever more populated with stories of big brands trying and failing in some instances to register a trade mark for their product. ... This raises the question in the world of intellectual property law as to just what will surpass the trade mark test, and indeed what this test consists of within the UK. (Source: IP Watchdog)
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In Brief
Busy week in D.C.! This week, AAFA is hosting its Brand Protection Council meeting and its Government Relations Committee meeting in the nation's capital to discuss the latest issues impacting our industry – including IPR updates from some of the biggest eCommerce platforms as well as trade preference programs. All members are invited to join an AAFA committee to help impact positive change for the industry. Learn about AAFA committees here.
Members of the Environmental Committee and Social Responsibility Committee are reminded to register for next week's meetings in Chicago. Already registered? Plan to stay an extra day and join our riveting Traceability Seminar on July 19.
ICYMI ApparelStats and ShoeStats 2017 are now available: Member-only ApparelStats and ShoeStats are now available for download (member login required). Check out these and other reports on the AAFA Tools & Research page.
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 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 20 Webinar: Chinese Standards for Textile, Apparel & Footwear
July 26 Webinar: Licensing - Protecting Your Brand's Reputation
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Trade
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