November 20: ... Trump told reporters last week that the Chinese response to his list of demands was largely complete but was missing four or five big issues, signaling that tough discussions still need to take place between the two sides as they head into the Nov. 30-Dec. 1 meetings at the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires. ... Trump said the U.S. would proceed with a threat to impose additional tariffs on $267 billion worth of Chinese products if the two countries don’t reach a deal. (Source: Bloomberg)

November 18: ... During a weekend of diplomacy in China’s backyard that had been meant to defuse trade tensions, Mr. Xi and Mr. Pence instead chose escalation, attacking each other’s positions and battling for loyalty within a trade group that represents 60 percent of the global economy. (Source: New York Times)

November 16: ... “NAFTA serves as an important anchor for the U.S. textile, apparel and footwear industry. Much of the textile manufacturing in the United States is tied directly to NAFTA through U.S. exports to NAFTA partners,” Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) said during testimony. (Source: Sourcing Journal - login required)

November 20: Between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, shoppers are forecasted to spend an average of $420, with 88% expecting to spend more money or the same amount this holiday season than they anticipated. (Source: Retail Dive)

November 19: ... Army Secretary Mark Esper approved the Nov. 11 adoption of the much-discussed Army Greens, which all soldiers must wear by 2028. The new uniform, recently renamed by service brass, is a version of the iconic pinks-and-greens uniform Army officers wore during World War II. (Source: Military.com)

November 19: ... China’s great luxury promise appears to have the sector’s biggest power players well and truly in its thrall. But in the background, dark clouds have also been gathering. (Source: New York Times)

November 20: The internet's global reach has made stealing brands' intellectual property even easier, and businesses are losing billions as a result. So what should they be doing to protect themselves? (Source: BBC)

November 19: Chanel last week filed a lawsuit in federal court against The RealReal, alleging that the consignment retailer "sells CHANEL-branded products, including handbags, which it purports to be genuine but are in fact counterfeit," according to court documents. (Source: Retail Dive)

November 15: ... The ease with which consumers can locate and buy counterfeit or otherwise infringing goods – paired with the prevalence of fraudulent, paid-for reviews that have been known to crowd the comments sections of many third-party sellers’ pages – sheds light on why Amazon has been plagued with an increasing amount of complaints from brands, big and small, about the efforts it takes (or does not take) to clean up its platform. (Source: The Fashion Law)

AAFA USMCA testimony: On Friday, November 16, AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein testified 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 joining the Government Relations Committee, contact AAFA’s Steve Lamar.

Last week on The Hill: Last week, AAFA’s Government Relations (GR) Committee gathered in Washington to discuss the latest policy developments impacting the industry, followed by a visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday, November 15 to meet with Members of Congress in support of smart trade policies.

Committee meetings next week: Members of the AAFA team including Nate Herman, and Kristen Kern will travel to New York next week to host the fall 2018 Environmental Committee (EC) Meeting and Social Responsibility Committee (SRC) Meeting, both at Infor’s offices. A very special thank you to Infor for hosting these important meetings! For more information on joining either committee, contact membership@aafaglobal.org. AAFA will be previewing important new member-only resources including the 2018 Environmental Benchmarking Survey and new reports covering best practices around working hours and denim finishing. Stay tuned for updates as those are released.

California wildfire disaster relief: Two Ten Footwear Foundation is providing emergency financial assistance, referral services and counseling to footwear employees and their families who have been affected by the devastating wildfires in California and surrounding areas. The most immediate need is to get these families into safe, temporary housing and make sure they have basic needs, like food and clothing. They anticipate their needs will increase in the months to come as families begin to assess the damage and rebuild their lives. Donate here or contact Kelli-Beth Vecchione with questions.

AAFA internship opportunities: Know someone interested in interning with the AAFA team in Washington, D.C.? 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.