November 13: As trade negotiators prepare to meet in Mexico this week, Wall Street is increasingly worried the 23-year-old NAFTA trade deal could fall apart, creating the potential for new trade clashes in North America and around the globe. (Source: CNBC)

November 12: President Donald Trump said Sunday he’ll make a "major" announcement on trade next week at the White House upon returning from his Asia trip. The statement, planned for Wednesday, will detail Trump’s discussions with world leaders during his 12-day, five-country tour of Asia. "A lot of things are happening on trade and I’ll be announcing pretty much what happened here and also with other meetings, including with China, South Korea and lots of other places," Trump said during a trilateral meeting here with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump added later, "We’ve made some very big steps with respect to trade, far bigger than anything you know." (Source: Politico)

November 10: ... The great news is that Americans excel at the activities on the production curve that require the most creativity and know-how, and that generate the most profit. We are good at conceiving and developing new products, providing the services that bring them to life, and developing sophisticated approaches to promoting their brands. Our workers and businesses have effectively established a global advantage by organizing multinational production networks, known as global value chains, around their products and then dominating the activities at the top of the curve. (Source: tradevistas)

November 13: This year's Singles' Day online shopping bonanza on Saturday saw record-breaking sales, backed by not only the work of e-commerce websites' employees but, more importantly, cutting-edge technology. (Source: Global Times)

November 13: ... The expansion of the Panama Canal that doubled its capacity has started shifting freight to east coast ports, which have invested billions in dredging, construction, and equipment purchases to take advantage of the increased flow. The canal expansion’s manifold impacts on U.S. trucking are already starting to be felt: large shifts in freight from the west coast to the east coast will lessen demand for west coast intermodal, rail, and longhaul capacity; we also expect a decrease in demand for outbound capacity from Chicago. Since more freight will be delivered closer to population centers on the east coast, shorthaul drivers should see an increase in demand. (Source: FreightWaves)

November 8: If there are North Korea-made products or actual North Koreans in your supply chain, your company will be in for some issues. ... if it’s found—or even just believed—that goods made by North Korean citizens or nationals anywhere in the world are in the supply chain in question, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could ban any of those associated import shipments or seize goods in a sort of guilty until proven innocent approach. ... "While this policy does address a very real problem, it also creates complications for companies as they will now have to research workers’ nationalities throughout the supply chain, expanding upon existing compliance priorities such as preventing forced and child labor, ensuring factory safety and eliminating the use of harmful chemicals," said Nate Herman, SVP of supply chain for the American Apparel & Footwear Association. (Source: Sourcing Journal - article unlocked)

November 10: It's terrifyingly easy to just make stuff up online these days, such is life in the post-truth era. But recent advancements in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have compounded the issue exponentially. It's not just the news that's fake anymore but all sorts of media and consumer goods can now be knocked off thanks to AI. (Source: engadget)

November 9: Website domain names formerly used by politicians, foreign embassies, and commercial businesses are being used by fraudsters to set up online shops that market and sell counterfeit and trademark-infringing goods, a large European study has discovered. (Source: Securing Industry)

November 9: China is doing its part to cut down on the significant number of fakes that flood the global market after originating within its borders. That appears to be the message that China’s General Administration of Customs hopes will be garnered from an announcement on Thursday that thus far in 2017, Chinese customs have detected more than 1,560 cases of intellectual property infringement involving goods exported to the United States. Those cases stem from two joint China-U.S. crackdowns this year. (Source: The Fashion Law)

In Brief

November & December November 29 Environmental Committee Meeting November 30 Social Responsibility Committee Meeting December 6 Webinar: Moisture Management with Performance Fabrics December 11 Webinar: Trade Policy in 2017 - Is the U.S. Getting Left Behind? Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars and industry events.

Save your seat for AAFA's Product Safety Seminar! February 8 | Long Beach, CA