Newsletter at-a-glance
This week we draw your attention to AAFA's push to eliminate duties via the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (see AAFA News below) and AAFA's efforts to preserve NAFTA. Today is NAFTA Social Media Day! Join AAFA on Twitter using #NAFTAWorks and share how your company and employees benefit from the trade agreement.
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January 22: President Donald Trump unveiled his first major action as trade enforcer-in-chief on Monday, opening the door to a host of other trade restrictions that buck the global order and give him a hammer to push his "America First" vision at the gathering of global elites in Davos, Switzerland. ( Source: Politico)
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January 22: The NAFTA trade agreement’s future hangs in the balance this week as negotiators from the United States, Canada and Mexico try to settle major differences over revamping a pact that President Donald Trump has threatened to abandon. ( Source: Reuters)
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January 19: ... China and Russia have made little progress to align their economies with the commitments they made when joining the WTO, the U.S. trade representative wrote in two reports sent to Congress on Friday. ( Source: The Hill)
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January 22: Not too many huge surprises in there, but a few notable omissions like the lack of a gas tax increase and what seems to be a smaller ask from the private sector. ( Source: Axios)
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January 22: Landmark deal means multinational apparel brand will pay up following delays over fixing hazards at its factories. ( Source: The Guardian)
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January 18: Microplastics are quietly harming the environment—and the European Commission (EC) is calling on international authorities and the apparel industry to move to a more circular economy to curb the problem. ( Source: Sourcing Journal - article unlocked)
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January 18: ... China’s Ministry of Commerce has also claimed that the report lacks "solid evidence" to include the nine Chinese marketplaces accused of engaging in rampant IP infringement – a move that appears to call into question the accounts of brand owners tackling fake goods in China. (Source: World Trademark Review)
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January 17: ... While Trump did not specify what he meant by a "fine" against China, the 1974 trade law that authorized an investigation into China’s alleged theft of U.S. intellectual property allows him to impose retaliatory tariffs on Chinese goods or other trade sanctions until China changes its policies. ( Source: Reuters)
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AAFA sends "key vote" letter to House regarding MTB: AAFA sent a letter urging members of the House of Representatives to vote "yes" ahead of the January 16 vote on the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) Act (H.R. 4318), which would temporarily eliminate or reduce import duties on more than 1,700 products (both inputs and finished products) that are not made in the U.S. Following unanimous House approval, AAFA released a statement applauding the decision and pushed for consideration of the bill in the Senate.
Industry letter to NAFTA negotiators: Ahead of the sixth round of NAFTA negotiations, AAFA co-signed a January 19 letter to the three NAFTA trade ministers calling for the preservation of existing flexibilities, the avoidance of new restrictions, and new provisions to expand trade.
AAFA supports Port of Long Beach on-dock rail proposal: AAFA sent a letter on January 19 to the Board of Harbor Commissioners of the Port of Long Beach, expressing support for the 12th Street option for the proposed Pier B rail yard project.
Government procurement comments: AAFA submitted comments on January 15 regarding a new program to enable government procurement through e-commerce portals.
Meet the Executive Summit speakers! We are excited to announce that the speaker lineup and Executive Summit agenda is now posted! The 2018 Summit – REBOOT, REIMAGINE, REINVENT – will host inspirational business leaders from Apple Retail to Ziel Inc. as they provide fresh perspectives on innovation in leadership and consumer engagement. AAFA’s Susan Lapetina sat down with Dr. Ananth Raman at the Harvard Business School to provide insights on today’s supply chain as we eagerly look forward to his session. Read the Q&A here. We hope to see you in D.C. in just 5 more weeks!
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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Member Welcome: Xcel Brands Inc.
 Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:XELB) is a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, production, licensing, marketing and direct-to-consumer sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, jewelry, home goods, and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands. Xcel was founded by Robert W. D'Loren in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment and social as one. Xcel owns and manages the Isaac Mizrahi, Judith Ripka, H Halston, C. Wonder and Highline Collective brands, pioneering an omnichannel sales strategy which includes the promotion and sale of products through direct-response television, e-commerce, and brick and mortar retail channels.
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February
Feb. 1 Webinar: Decoding the New Tax Code
Feb. 7 Social Responsibility Committee Meeting
Feb. 7 Environmental Committee Meeting
Feb. 21 Webinar: Millennials, Parents, and Textile Sustainability
Feb. 28 Board of Directors Meeting and Capitol Hill Visit
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Other Industry Events
PGA Show - Performance Textile Fair
January 24-26 | Orlando, FL
Tomorrow, AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein will keynote the PGA Show’s Performance Textile Fair with his session Trade & Your Business: Is D.C. A "Swamp" or a Sand Trap?
FN Platform and SOURCING at MAGIC
February 12-14 | Las Vegas, NV
AAFA will lead two sessions on February 12 in Las Vegas - one covering anti-counterfeiting and one about how U.S. global value chains can shape U.S. trade policy.
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Trade
