November 27: It’s do-or-die time for Senate Republicans on tax reform. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) doesn't appear to have locked down 50 votes for his party’s tax overhaul, with at least half a dozen GOP senators showing varying levels of concern about the legislation released earlier this month. ... GOP aides expect changes this week to the version of the tax plan that passed the Senate Finance Committee. Those adjustments could come before the legislation hits the floor or through amendments as the bill is considered. (Source: Politico)

November 27: Terminating the North American Free Trade Agreement would harm the U.S. and Canadian economies and reduce their competitiveness versus Asia and Europe, a report issued by the Bank of Montreal said on Monday. According to the report, "The Day After NAFTA," a failure to renegotiate the trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico would lead to a 0.2 percent net reduction in real U.S. gross domestic product over the next five years, and a 1 percent decrease for Canada’s economy. (Source: Reuters)

November 23: ... The president continues to tout his "figgy pudding" trade strategy,  but he's reemphasizing his long-stated trade grab bag of one-on-one bilateral agreements, fabulous business deals and rigorous enforcement. At the same time, he has totally ruled out multinational deals, and all this comes just in time for the holidays! (Source: The Hill, op-ed by AAFA's Rick Helfenbein)

November 28: Cyber Monday 2017 is going down in the history books. Digital transactions on Monday reached a record $6.59 billion, Adobe Insights unveiled Tuesday in its final update on the holiday weekend. That marks a 16.8 percent increase from a year ago, and makes Monday the largest online shopping day in U.S. history. Mobile also had a record day, Adobe found, saying smartphones have become the "de facto device" for on-the-go shopping. Mobile sales on Cyber Monday reached $2 billion for the first time. (Source: CNBC)

November 26: Plastic fibers, apparently from people’s clothing, are accumulating in Lake Champlain fish, plankton and birds, according to a SUNY Plattsburgh professor who is researching "micro" trash ingested by the lake’s aquatic organisms. ... Research suggests the fibers escape into the environment not just from wastewater from washing machines, but also from air pumped out of clothes driers ... (Source: VTDigger)

November 23: Myanmar says it has struck a tentative deal with neighboring Bangladesh for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled across the border amid a brutal military crackdown. The memorandum of understanding between the two countries follows international pressure on Myanmar and the country's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to end a government-backed campaign of violence against the Rohingya. (Source: NPR)

November 27: Several thousand copyright-infringing website domain names and third-party marketplace links selling counterfeit pharmaceuticals, automotive parts and other fake items to unsuspecting consumers have been criminally and administratively seized and removed in an effort that combines the resources of global law-enforcement agencies and industry. There were roughly 50,385 illegal domain names seized and 320,701 e-commerce / social media links removed over the past year as part of Operation In Our Sites / Project Transatlantic VIII ... (Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

November 22: It is strategically important for China’s economy that the country enhances protection of intellectual property rights, the state news agency Xinhua quoted Premier Li Keqiang as saying, as the cabinet promised to improve regulations. (Source: Reuters)

November 22: ... Globalization, technology, and consumer buying habits have gotten far ahead of lawmakers, which has ushered in a ‘Wild West’ atmosphere for those unscrupulous enough to take advantage of it. However, some countries have started to catch up. Even though the bulk of counterfeits, illegal, and fake goods being sold to U.S. consumers are coming from China, Beijing has taken assertive measures to ensure that merchants in other countries do not attempt to do the same thing to them. (Source: Forbes)

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 the AAFA Executive Summit Feb 28 - March 2 | Washington, D.C.