August 27: ... This account – confirmed by sources with knowledge of the meeting and undisputed by the White House – hints at where Trump may be heading with his trade agenda. And it shows he believes some of his top economic advisors are resisting his agenda because they are "globalists." (Source: Axios)

August 22: The recent rise in American economic nationalism has accompanied the view that past restrictions on foreign competition were successful in achieving stated policy objectives ... . Politicians and pundits use such assertions to justify new nationalist economic proposals, but they ignore a vast repository of academic analyses and contemporaneous reporting that show that American trade protectionism – even in the periods most often cited as "successes" – not only has imposed immense economic costs on American consumers and the broader economy, but also has failed to achieve its primary policy aims and fostered political dysfunction along the way. (Source: CATO Institute)

August 28: Trucking fleets, railroads and shipping lines are rerouting cargo and setting up alternate supply lines as Tropical Storm Harvey promises to disrupt freight traffic across southeast Texas for days. Seaports in Houston and Corpus Christi have been closed to most ships since before Harvey made landfall Friday, and rising waters from days of heavy rains and catastrophic flooding are threatening long stretches of highways and railroad tracks, bringing freight transportation in a major American hub to a virtual standstill. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

Learn how to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. See In Brief below. 

August 29: U.S. national security funding may be slashed by about $65 billion in January as lawmakers forge ahead with a spending plan that collides with a budget ceiling under a six-year-old law. ... Without another budget agreement in place, the Defense Department faces automatic across-the-board cuts of 9 percent to 10 percent starting in mid-January ... . (Source: Bloomberg)

August 29: DNV GL and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have launched a new tool to help the textiles industry manage water consumption in a more sustainable manner. Water scarcity affects more than 40% of the global population, a number which is projected to rise. While about 2.5% of the world’s water is freshwater, only 0.5% of that amount is made available to satisfy society’s needs. (Source: Innovation in Textiles)

August 28: On the heels of releasing its first-ever documentary exploring Korea’s next-level counterfeit culture, HighSnobiety took on the age-old question, "Is Counterfeiting Actually Good for Fashion?" In his op-ed, Aleks Eror makes some undeniably good points. However, he falls short on a few important accounts ... . (Source: The Fashion Law)

August 26: On Friday, August 25, 2017, the Trump Administration announced several nominations, one of which was the nomination of Andrei Iancu to be the next Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). (Source: IP Watchdog)

August 24: China will tighten controls over intellectual property to provide better opportunities for foreign firms, the commerce ministry said on Friday. The government’s crackdown on intellectual property violations will focus on trademark registration abuse and business secret theft ... . (Source: Reuters)

In Brief

Hurricane Harvey disaster relief: The apparel and footwear community is coming together in support of those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Companies and individuals interested in assisting are encouraged to submit donations via Delivering Good, Soles4Souls, and/or Two Ten.

Committee Spotlight – Environmental Committee: The Environmental Committee provides AAFA members a forum to discuss proper environmental stewardship and sustainability best practices for the industry.

AAFA members actively serve on 11 committees, subcommittees, councils, and working groups. Members have the opportunity to provide thought leadership, share best practices, and address challenges through active participation. Committees meet by conference call, in person 2-3 times a year, and send out regular updates on issues. To join a committee, please contact membership@aafaglobal.org.

Member Welcome: V-Trust

V-Trust is a leading international inspection services provider registered in Hong Kong, China, India & Vietnam since 2003, with ISO9001 certificate and the accreditation of IFIA (International Federation of Inspection Agencies), AQSIQ & CNAS17020.

September September 7 Webinar: Color Boot Camp September 20 Webinar: A Practical Guide to Chemical Management September 26-27 AAFA Board of Directors Meeting September 26 Webinar: What's in YOUR Brand? Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars and industry events.

Join us in Hong Kong for the AAFA Executive Think Tank