November 5: Tariffs levied against China accounted for $800 million in September, even though the bulk didn't take effect until the end of the month. (Source: CNBC)

November 2: ... "The thing that's really bad about this – that most people don't get – is that after the election next Tuesday, on Wednesday if Trump gets up and says 'I call off this with China,' you won't be able to call off the exodus," said [Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association], who just returned from a trip to Asia to check out the situation for his members. (Source: CBS MoneyWatch)

November issue: ... In an era of high tariff uncertainty, many in Washington are still exploring ways to reduce tariff bills. While there are many programs – such as bilateral free trade agreements or First Sale – here are several you may not have heard of with promising futures. (Source: Fashion Manuscript, op-ed by AAFA's Steve Lamar)

November 5: Even when clothing is produced as environmentally friendly as possible – it’s only truly sustainable if it’s used for a long time. ... With second-life initiatives, outdoor manufacturers like Vaude, Patagonia, and Peak Performance want to extend the life cycle of their products. (Source: ISPO)

November 4: ... Bangladesh is battling to keep its position as the world's second-largest exporter of clothing after China, as it faces intensifying competition from Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and now African countries like Ethiopia as global brands search for cheap labor. (Source: Nikkei Asian Review)

October 31: ... Cambodian government officials earlier this month met with representatives from the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and representatives from brands including Adidas, New Balance, Nike, Puma, Under Armour and VF Corp, to discuss the rights of workers in the Cambodian garment, footwear and travel goods sector. (Source: just-style - article unlocked)

November 6: German fashion designer Philipp Plein has started to call out people who post images of themselves in counterfeits of his clothing via Instagram in an unusual spin on brand protection. (Source: Securing Industry)

October 30: The City of London Police (CoLP) became the fifth international law-enforcement agency to join the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) after leadership from the organization signed an agreement [on October 30] with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) to enhance collaboration in the fight against intellectual property theft. (Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

October 30: ... Instead of referring to paper guides to verify the authenticity of an imported product, the agents use a HoloLens-enabled mobile app to instantly access product details and compare the reference images to the physical object they are examining. CBP is also considering an app for consumers that would allow them to test items such as pharmaceuticals to know if they are legitimate. (Source: GCN)

Welcome to election day! Join us on Thursday (2:00 PM ET) as we recap the results. AAFA members will hear from AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein and Executive Vice President Steve Lamar as they explain what the results mean for the industry. Attendees of this webinar will review results of Congressional races and Governorships, explore how these results shape Congressional leadership and the makeup of the key Congressional committees, and walk away with a better understanding of how the results could impact your business. Register now!

In case you missed last week’s member webinar “NAFTA to USMCA - A Deep Dive with AAFA” – the recording is now available for download in our Learning Center (member login required).

New AAFA member tool! Proposition 65 Best Practices: AAFA has unveiled a new Proposition 65 Best Practices (member login required) document for AAFA members – outlining best practices in developing your company’s Proposition 65 testing and warning label protocol. Including warning label content options and placement options, the new resources addresses both testing and labeling for Prop 65 from a risk management perspective. This tool supplements AAFA’s popular Proposition 65 Warning Label Guidance (released in February).

Ongoing labor rights efforts in Cambodia: Following the joint trade delegation in Phnom Penh on October 19, AAFA and the Fair Labor Association (FLA) sent a follow up letter to Cambodia’s Minister of Commerce H.E. Pan Sorasak with specific suggestions to improve labor rights for workers, suppliers, and buyers.

Trade advocacy updates: On November 2, AAFA submitted an official request to testify at the U.S. International Trade Commission's November 2018 hearing on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and its impact to the U.S. economy.

Last week, AAFA also provided detailed comments to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding industry concerns with tariff and non-tariff trade barriers.

For questions related to AAFA’s trade advocacy efforts, or about the opportunity to take part in the Government Relations Committee, contact AAFA’s Steve Lamar.

Comments to the Defense Logistics Agency: AAFA wrote to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) on November 2 to express concerns regarding the use of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) contracting procedures as the use of LPTA, as well as the parallel reverse auction evaluation method, has long been a source of concern to the industry.

Trends survey request: Amber Road invites you to take part in The Third Annual Trends Survey and Report to gauge where companies are on their supply chain digital transformation journeys. All respondents will receive a copy of the survey. Learn more.