November 12: Some retailers have a holiday message for consumers: Buy now, or else face higher prices in January, when bigger tariffs on Chinese goods kick in. ... "Everybody's trying to bring in more goods before the holidays before the prices go up," said Rick Helfenbein, CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, which represents more than 1,000 brands. (Source: CBS MoneyWatch)

November 12: American apparel and footwear companies have started to move their assembly lines elsewhere from China as uncertainties continue to increase along with costs as a result of the long drawn-out trade spat with the United States. ... "Ten percent, maybe, we could survive, and 25 percent we can't survive. That will force us to relocate," says [AAFA's Rick Helfenbein], who has over 40 years of experience in the industry. He says 25 percent duties would be unbearable. (Source: The Standard)

November 12: U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He have resumed talks on trade, and a potential Washington visit by Liu is being considered before the nations’ top leaders meet later this month. ... The two leaders are slated to meet at the Group of 20 nations summit in Argentina, which is scheduled to take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1. (Source: Bloomberg)

November 9: A coalition of major U.S. trade associations has challenged a provision in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) allowing the United States to reduce the minimum value for goods that can enter the country duty-free to a potentially much lower amount, also known as the de minimis rule. ... Steve Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, which did not sign the letter, said, “We agree with the underlying sentiment of the letter and are working to make sure the USMCA implementing bill does not enable the U.S. to unilaterally lower its de minimis threshold. The $800 level is very popular in Congress, having been raised a few years ago in a bipartisan, bicameral manner.”
(Source: Sourcing Journal - article unlocked)

November 12: In addition, about 13% of those surveyed also plan to use voice-activated virtual assistants as part of their shopping process, but the percentage of voice shoppers was higher among certain demographics, with 22% of Gen Xers and 17% of millennials saying they would use their virtual assistants for holiday shopping. (Source: Retail Dive)

November 9: The world's six largest container carriers may be planning to start a new global association with one main goal: standardizing industry practices, ShippingWatch reported Thursday, citing sources. MSC's Andre Simha would lead the board of the new group, which includes Maersk Line, MSC, COSCO, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and ONE. (Source: Supply Chain Dive)

November 9: The [American Apparel & Footwear Association] has unveiled a new tool to enable its members to adhere to best practices in relation to testing and warning label protocol. The Proposition 65 Best Practices document for AAFA members outlines how to develop testing and warning label protocol within a company, and supplements the organisation’s Proposition 65 Warning Label Guidance released in early 2018. (Source: Ecotextile News - login required)

November 12: Most of us know that feeling when we buy something online that looks like the real thing … but ends up being, well, garbage. But a new report says thousands of people have been using fake shopping apps to make purchases -- and the results could be far worse than merely not getting what you wanted. (Source: abacus)

November 12: The Trump administration is broadening its China trade battle beyond tariffs with a plan to use export controls, indictments and other tools to counter the theft of intellectual property, according to people familiar with the matter. ... U.S. officials are looking at additional cases where they could use a similar combination of tools to fight Chinese IP theft, the people added. The officials hope that the unprecedented actions taken to defend Micron—the largest American memory-chip maker—will encourage more U.S. companies to work with the government to counter intellectual property theft. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

USMCA testimony this week: On Friday, November 16, AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein will testify at the U.S. International Trade Commission's hearing on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the potential impacts to the U.S. economy. 

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.

Post-election webinar recording: In case you missed our AAFA member webinar on November 8, "Midterm Election Results & What's Ahead" – the recording is now available for download in our Learning Center (member login required).

Access AAFA's new Proposition 65 Best Practices member tool: Earlier this month, AAFA released a new Proposition 65 Best Practices (member login required) document for 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 resource 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).

Welcoming AAFA interns: AAFA is proud to welcome our two all-star interns this fall – Christopher Goodrich from George Washington University and Mathew Bieller from American University in D.C. Both are working with AAFA’s Government Relations team part-time and attending classes too!

Know someone interested in interning with the AAFA team? We are currently accepting internship applications for opportunities in AAFA’s Government Relations as well as Communications and Marketing departments.

 See all of AAFA’s latest letters, comments, and testimony here.

 

Member Welcome: COBMEX
COBMEX is the premier manufacturer of uniform sweaters for public safety, corporate/image apparel, and postal environments across North America, the UK, and Europe.