September 25: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang amid rising trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies and the escalating risk of North Korea’s nuclear progress. China hopes the countries can improve economic and trade ties and that their common interests outweigh their differences, Li told Ross Monday in brief comments to reporters before the meeting in Beijing. ... Ross also met Monday with Vice Premier Wang Yang to discuss issues including increased market access for U.S. firms, according to the official Weibo account of the U.S. Embassy in China. (Source: Bloomberg)

September 25: Ten business groups - representing companies from across the textile and apparel supply chain in Canada, the US, and Mexico - have urged negotiators to preserve Tariff Preference Levels (TPLs) in the NAFTA negotiations. ... The ten groups – the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Cámara Nacional de la Industria del Vestido, Canadian Apparel Federation, Council of Fashion Designers of America, National Retail Federation, Outdoor Industry Association, Promotional Products Association, International Retail Council of Canada, Retail Industry Leaders Association, and the US Fashion Industry Association – also say they support "a modernised NAFTA that will lead to more job creation and commercial opportunities within and among our three countries." (Source: just-style - login required)

September 23: ... Trump's trade team is expected to propose a "sunset clause" to NAFTA, which means the agreement would expire after five years unless all countries decide to sign on for another five years. ... "It's probably one of the worst ideas that anyone has ever suggested," says Rick Helfenbein, CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association ... "Why would you invest in something that could expire in 5 years?" (Source: CNN)

September 23: President Trump and Republican leaders plan to cut the top tax rate for the wealthiest Americans to 35 percent and dramatically reduce taxes on big and small businesses, according to details leaked to Axios. ... It's the first glimpse of the tax reform plan agreed upon in secret between the "Big Six" congressional leaders and administration officials. It forms the starting point of the tax reform process, which will play out over the coming months. (Source: Axios)

September 26: Myanmar is committing crimes against humanity in its campaign against Muslim insurgents in Rakhine state, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, calling for the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions and an arms embargo. (Source: Reuters)

September 25: The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), an alliance of groups representing firms from the Canadian, Mexican and US textile sectors, has urged the US Government to plug the loopholes in the implementation of the Berry Amendment in military clothing, textile and footwear procurement and stop the patronage offered to Federal Prison Industries (FPI). (Source: Fibre2Fashion)

September 25: A push for the largest defense spending plan in several years has overcome a series of congressional hurdles this year, including approval on the Senate floor this past week. But with plenty of competing interests at play, and an uphill battle to exceed spending caps, the National Defense Authorization Act must survive some obstacles before it can be enacted. (Source: Stars and Stripes)

September 22: Recently, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the federal organization responsible for policing Canada’s borders, issued a Customs Notice (CN17-27) to advise the public and rights holders that its 24/7 "Border Watch" hotline now accepts information, or tips, on "dangerous" counterfeit goods or pirated copies that are destined for Canada. (Source: Lexology)

September 21: Is it inspiration? Is it imitation? And why – exactly – is everyone always knocking-off each other? Whether it takes the form of a garment design the runway of one designer one season going to the runway of another a few seasons later or from the runway in Paris to the racks of Zara a few weeks later, fashion – especially the industry in the U.S. – has a complicated relationship with copying. (Source: The Fashion Law)

In Brief

NAFTA update: AAFA’s Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, Nate Herman, has been in Ottawa this week for round three of intense negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). There, he met with negotiators, Congressional staff, and other key stakeholders to advocate on the industry’s issues. Further updates will be shared with appropriate AAFA committees later this week and during the coming weeks. If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact AAFA Membership. Members are encouraged to share any thoughts or concerns regarding the negotiations with Nate Herman.

Urging negotiators to preserve TPLs in NAFTA: On September 20, ten business groups – representing companies from across the textile and apparel supply chain in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico – urged negotiators to preserve Tariff Preference Levels (TPLs) in the NAFTA negotiations. See the letter to Ambassador Lighthizer, Minister Freeland, and Minister Guajardo to learn more.

Comments to Commerce: On September 19, AAFA submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce to express strong support for the Berry Amendment and for government procurement commitments in trade agreements that benefit AAFA members.

September & October September 26-27 AAFA Board of Directors Meeting October 4 AAFA Footwear Workshop: Trade, Trends, & Compliance October 5 Webinar: Consumer-Centric Approach to Online Brand Protection October 11 Webinar: Spotlight on CSR - Moving the Industry Forward October 19 AAFA Product Safety and Compliance Conference October 25 Webinar: Sustainability - What Do Consumers Really Think? October 26 AAFA Executive Think Tank in Hong Kong Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars and industry events.

Join AAFA next week at the AAFA Footwear Workshop! October 4 | Lawrence, MA