Newsletter at-a-glance
AAFA united 138 apparel and footwear companies by sending a letter to President Donald J. Trump yesterday afternoon opposing the use of tariffs in the trade dispute with China. The letter was signed by nearly 200 executives and designers! Learn more under AAFA News.
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June 17: NPR's Audie Cornish talks with American Apparel & Footwear Association CEO Rick Helfenbein about his testimony during Monday's public hearings to the U.S. Trade office concerning tariffs on China. (Source: NPR)
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June 17: ... Rick Helfenbein, American Apparel & Footwear Association CEO, told Yahoo Finance prices will go up, sales will go down and jobs will be lost if the administration moves forward with additional tariffs. ... “We’re going to come out swinging and no holds barred asking to be removed from the list,” said Helfenbein. (Source: Yahoo Finance)
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June 17: ... The letter, organized by the fashion industry’s lobbying group the American Apparel & Footwear Association along with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Accessories Council, was sent to the White House this afternoon and is supported by household name fashion designers, retailers and brands. (Source: WWD - login required)
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June 17: ... The groups – the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Fair Labor Association, Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability, and Social Accountability International – are especially concerned with the implementation of, and proposed reforms to, the Labor Organizations Law (LOL) of 2011 and the Settlement of Labor Disputes Law (SLDL) of 2012, particularly on the issue of freedom of association. (Source: just-style - login required)
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June 17: ... The app, “Everyone’s Business,” is designed to engage and educate employees in responsible labor sourcing. It is a smart phone tool designed to help all factory-facing employees maintain fair labor standards and human rights across the supply chain. (Source: Footwear News)
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June 12: ... As all companies try to limit their plastic use, shoe manufacturers are trying to design new shoes with lower embedded emissions. (Source: Fast Company)
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June 18: ... Those fake jeans inevitably made their way into department stores, and readily changed hands between cashier and buyer, but not in the way that one might expect. Instead of buying counterfeit jeans, consumers were the ones responsible for them. (Source: The Fashion Law)
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June 13: ... The clothing included phony brand name labels and tags that falsely represented the clothing’s abilities. That included hoods intended for military and law enforcement personnel labeled as “permanently flame resistant” when they were not flame resistant, and military parkas falsely represented as being made of a fabric that made them difficult to detect with night vision goggles. (Source: Associated Press)
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June 3: ... The China Trade Mark Office (CTMO) has revoked trademarks registered to Supreme Italia, which has been described as a “legal fake” business posing as the fashionable US streetwear brand. (Source: Securing Industry)
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Industry outcry against $300 billion in tariffs: Yesterday was a critical day for our industry efforts to protect our trading relationships with China and keep tariffs at bay. Three big developments:
1) Monday marked day 1 of testimony before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, where AAFA testified. Our full written testimony is available here and we expect at least 17 companies across our industry to speak over the course of two-plus weeks of public testimony.
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AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein
speaks with Wilfred Frost and Sara Eisen on
CNBC’s Closing Bell, June 17. Watch here. |
An overview at the start of our busy day, directly
from AAFA’s President and CEO at the AAFA
offices in Washington. Watch here. |
2) AAFA brought together 138 apparel and footwear companies – signed by nearly 200 executives and designers – in sending a letter to President Donald J. Trump yesterday afternoon opposing the use of tariffs in the trade dispute with China. The letter explains succinctly and in no uncertain terms that these tariffs will mean higher prices for U.S consumers, lower U.S. apparel and footwear sales, and lost jobs for American workers in our industry. A copy of the letter is available here and our press release and related postings are available at aafaglobal.org/news.
3) Last week, AAFA joined more than 650 associations and companies in a letter to the President opposing the Tranche 4 tariffs. The letter, organized by the Americans for Free Trade Coalition, is available here.
Letter to Myanmar on worker’s rights: On June 12, AAFA — in collaboration with the Fair Labor Association, the Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability, and Social Accountability International — sent a joint letter to the Myanmar Government expressing concerns over serious worker’s rights issues.
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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AAFA Endorsed Schools: Fashion Institute of Technology
 Apparel and textile businesses need to deliver quality merchandise on time and at the right price. This program immerses you in the business administration and production techniques for competitive manufacturing systems in today’s global marketplace. Read more.
Learn more about AAFA Endorsed Schools and Universities.
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June & July
June 19 Webinar: Social Compliance Across New Sourcing Countries
July 11 Brand Protection Seminar: Fighting the Fakes
July 24 Webinar: Transparency & Collaboration Make a Better Tomorrow
Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars, scheduled events, and member/committee calls.
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AAFA’s Traceability Seminar heads to
Target’s headquarters in Minneapolis
August 7
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Trade
