Newsletter at-a-glance
AAFA members are encouraged to register for our July 2 webinar “Tariff Exclusions - What You Need to Know,” which will cover the latest happenings in the trade war and provide details on the just-announced Tranche 3 exclusion process.
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June 25: ... “What companies are doing is accelerating their plans to move out of China,” Stephen Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, told me. He calls it a “generational shift” in how U.S. companies are sourcing their products. (Source: The Atlantic)
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June 20: In this episode, the Trade Guys and Andrew welcome a special guest. Steve Lamar is the Executive Vice President of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), and represents members before Congress and the Administration. They discuss how tariffs are affecting the apparel and footwear industry, and look ahead to the slated Trump-Xi meeting next week on the sidelines of the G20 meetings in Osaka. (Source: The Trade Guys podcast via Soundcloud)
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June 19: ... The move is welcome news for the Trump administration as it pushes for the U.S. Congress to approve the deal this summer. But Democrats have said they will not be rushed into passing the deal until the administration makes changes to the agreement’s provisions on enforcement, labor, the environment and drug pricing. (Source: Politico)
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June 25: ... Sanders assumed the post after Kevin McAleenan, the former commissioner, moved up to fill the role of acting Department of Homeland Security secretary in the wake of Kirstjen Nielsen's ouster this spring. (Source: CNN)
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June 22: ... soon after it sent its Malaysia report to companies last October, the American Apparel and Footwear Association ... announced a new policy on “responsible recruitment” that requires “supply chain partners” to make sure no workers pay recruitment fees and “workers retain control of their travel documents and have full freedom of movement.” (Source: The Guardian)
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June 19: ... U.S. factory owners also listed two major challenges of domestic footwear manufacturing: finding skilled workers and affordable parts and materials. (Source: NPR)
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June 24: The Supreme Court ruled that the brand "FUCT" should be allowed a federal trademark in a ruling announced Monday, finding that a federal ban on the registration of "immoral" or "scandalous" trademarks violates the First Amendment. (Source: CBS News)
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June 24: ... The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has urged the companies to crack down on the sale of fake reviews, which are illegal under the country’s consumer protection laws. The watchdog agency reviewed activity on the marketplaces over an eight month period and found over 100 eBay listings and 26 Facebook groups offering fake or misleading reviews for sale or trade. (Source: Footwear News)
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June 23: ... Publishers, writers and groups such as the Authors Guild said counterfeiting of books on Amazon had surged. The company has been reactive rather than proactive in dealing with the issue, they said, often taking action only when a buyer complains. Many times, they added, there is nowhere to appeal and their only recourse is to integrate even more closely with Amazon. (Source: New York Times)
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June 23: Alibaba’s recently released Intellectual Property Rights Report, which covers their efforts for 2018, trumpets “record results”, including closing more than 1,500 offline facilities manufacturing counterfeit goods, contributing to an estimated total value of $1.2 billion. (Source: Jing Daily)
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 AAFA's Rick Helfenbein discusses the China Tariffs with
Neil Cavuto on Fox Business, June 21. Watch here.Tariff testimony & potential exclusion process: Today is the last day of testimony regarding the proposal for $300 billion (‘Tranche 4’) in additional punitive tariffs on U.S. imports from China. Approximately three dozen companies from our industry have testified! The central message was overwhelmingly clear – additional duties would wreak havoc on U.S. businesses and your employment capacity, and costs would inevitably be passed on to consumers. Our testimony on Monday, July 17 was followed by this letter we sent to the President on June 17 – signed by nearly 200 industry executives across 138 companies petitioning the administration to halt action on new tariffs.
This week, the administration announced an exclusion process for the Tranche 3 tariffs already in effect – those that were imposed in September 2018 and include imports of textiles, travel goods, hats, gloves, and other fashion accessories. For more information on this process, and to get the latest on China tariffs, members can register for our exclusive webinar “Tariff Exclusions - What You Need to Know” taking place on July 2.
Veto request sent to Governor Cuomo: On June 20, AAFA sent a letter to Governor Cuomo of New York to request a veto on Senate Bill 501B and Assembly Bill 6296A. As stated in the letter, this legislation would create a costly chemical disclosure regulatory program, contradict other state chemical legislation, and ignore the due diligence strategies of companies in controlling chemicals in their supply chains which, in turn, would severely impact the ability of apparel and footwear companies to sell products in New York.
Customs funding support: On June 17, AAFA signed on to a multi-association letter supporting additional funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). We are urging support for the administration’s request for supplemental appropriations to cover CBP operations for the remainder of this fiscal year. This funding will ensure that the cross-border commerce critical to our economy is not impeded.
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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June & July
July 2 Member-Only Webinar: Tariff Exclusions - What you Need to Know
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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Two weeks to go!
Fighting the Fakes Brand Protection Seminar
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Trade
