March 19: The United States and China will have a trade summit, but when? The chocolate cake that was readied for March 27th at Mar-A-Lago has gone stale while America remains glued to a potential outcome that would cure our China trade ills. Should we hope for remedy this April? (Source: just-style, op-ed from AAFA's Rick Helfenbein – article unlocked)

March 18: President Trump’s trade wars have cost consumers over $20 billion ... The retaliatory tariffs that China, Europe and other trade partners have imposed on the U.S. have cost U.S. exporters almost $16 billion, according to the group. (Source: The Hill)

March 14: ... there will be another battle, according to Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. ... “What if they go after CAFTA? What about AGOA?” he said, referring to the Central America Free Trade Agreement and the African Growth and Opportunity Act. “These are all things we worry about every day.” (Source: Sourcing Journal – article unlocked)

March 13: The Trump administration is stepping up efforts to get House Democrats to support the new North American trade pact — but for now, the White House appears content to let the deal's fate on Capitol Hill depend on Mexico’s willingness to improve its labor laws. (Source: Politico)

March 15: ... a range of speakers — including Michael Evans, Alibaba president; Steven Kolb, CFDA president and CEO; Xia Ding, president of international fashion at JD.com; Ted Dagnese, chief supply chain officer at Lululemon Athletica; — sought to bring clarity to some of the key issues impacting retail supply chains right now. Here, we round up six big takeaways from the summit. (Source: Footwear News)

March 15: ... The release was an apparent bow to a demand by the opposition Civic Alliance for freeing inmates as a condition for resuming political talks which had been suspended. The opposition coalition had demanded the immediate and definitive release of about 770 people considered political prisoners. (Source: Associated Press)

March 15: A clothing rental service can solve a lot of the tough problems mid-market retailers face – including millennial “wardrobing.” (Source: Bloomberg)

March 18: ... trade in counterfeit and pirated products is worth as much as $509 billion, up from $461 billion. (Source: IP Pro Magazine)

March 18: ... Supreme is now one of the most counterfeited brands in the world and its fakes are among the most searched for. (Source: CNN)

March 14: ... Apparel and accessories webshops must be especially vigilant, as the category is preferred by fraudsters due to the ease with which items can be resold and the fact that attempts to buy in bulk don’t look so suspicious. (Source: Fashion United)

AAFA announces new board of directors leadership: AAFA announced its 2019-2020 leadership for the Board of Directors following the conclusion of the AAFA Executive Summit last week. In addition to confirming 16 new and re-elected Board members, the following individuals were confirmed as officers:

Chairman: Gary Simmons, Intradeco Apparel, Inc.
Vice-Chairman: Colin Browne, Under Armour, Inc.
Secretary: Sarah Clarke, PVH Corp.
Treasurer: Kurt Cavano, Infor
Past Chairman: Thomas Glaser, VF Corporation

Additional highlights from the AAFA Executive Summit can be found in Footwear News, Sourcing Journal, and Women's Wear Daily, as well as in the news section above.

Flame retardant bill in Connecticut: On March 13, AAFA submitted comments to the Connecticut Public Health Committee, expressing concerns with a proposed flame retardant bill that would result in additional labeling requirements and limit the ability to use safe flame retardants in children's products.

AAFA joins letter regarding business interest deductions: AAFA joined a March 11 letter to Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Director Larry Kudlow, urging the modification of a provision in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As currently written, the provision would make it more expensive for businesses to finance capital equipment purchases starting in 2022.

House Ways and Means review of U.S.-China Trade policy: AAFA submitted comments to the House Ways and Means Committee, as part of its review of recent U.S.-China trade policies. The Association emphasized that while the industry is pleased to see a dialogue between the Administration and China, it is essential that any deal not come at the expense of U.S. workers, U.S. companies, U.S. consumers, or U.S. communities.

Supporting apprenticeship opportunities to ease trucking shortage: AAFA joined a March 6 letter to Representatives Hollingsworth and Cuellar, supporting the DRIVE-Safe Act (HR1374), which would provide younger drivers with the opportunity to join the nation's commercial truck force through an apprenticeship program. Estimates suggest that the nation is currently in need of 50,000 additional truck drivers to meet demand.

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