October 21: Today’s executives are dealing with a complex and unprecedented brew of social, environmental, market, and technological trends. These require sophisticated, sustainability-based management. Yet executives are often reluctant to place sustainability core to their company’s business strategy in the mistaken belief that the costs outweigh the benefits. On the contrary, academic research and business experience point to quite the opposite. (Source: Harvard Business Review)

October 18: With Halloween around the corner, retail-industry groups are screeching for court relief after a Long Island county adopted tough regulations on toys containing hazardous materials. Set to take effect on Dec. 1, Suffolk County's Toxic Free Toys Act regulates the content of various chemicals, including toxins such as arsenic, lead and mercury, for any children's toys sold in the county. ... Industry groups contend in an Oct. 14 complaint, however, that such enforcement is pre-empted by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and the Consumer Product Safety Act. (Source: Courthouse News Service)

October 24: The American Apparel & Footwear Association's President and CEO Rick Helfenbein speaks with CNBC's Bernie Lo about international trade policy, and what it could look like following the 2016 Presidential Elections. (Source: CNBC Asia, Squawk Box)

October 24: The US has extended its generalized system of preferences to a new product – travel goods – but despite being a strong player in the segment, Bangladesh will miss out on the opportunity as the trade benefit is currently suspended for the country. ... Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of American Apparel and Footwear Association, in a public hearing last week said although allowing GSP for travel goods to Myanmar and other AGOA countries is a good step, they are relatively small and incapable of supplying the goods as per required demand. ... "Keep in mind, this is a two-billion-unit industry but only 200,000 units in total came from AGOA ... that's not even 1 percent," Helfenbein said. (Source: The Daily Star)

October 24: It is a critical time for the United States. As the steward of the global economy we have a unique opportunity to drive economic growth, while advancing human rights around the world. If passed, the Trans-Pacific Partnership will do both, but time is running out. Beyond its potential to grow our economy, TPP will enable unprecedented protections for workers around the world. Both economically and morally, the trade pact is win-win. (Source: The Hill)

October 17: Today, according to the Lesotho Textile Exporters Association, about 80% of Lesotho's textile and garment exports go to the U.S. With 44,000 employees, the garment industry is the country’s largest private sector employer. There are other ‘Made in Africa’ success stories that have emerged since AGOA was introduced in 2000 and extended by 10 years in September 2015. According to the 2016 AGOA report released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, non-oil exports to the United States under AGOA nearly tripled from $1.4 billion in 2001 to $4.1 billion in 2015. Automobiles from South Africa and apparel from Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, and Swaziland were the leading exports. (Source: CNBC Africa) 

October 25: [Vietnam's] Ministry of Science and Technology has ordered an investigation into chaotic scenes where staff and members of the public were recorded taking away fake fashion products which were earmarked for destruction. ... On October 21, the ministry's inspectors and the Hanoi Police Department for Economic Management seized up to 2,349 fake fashion products. The products included 726 bags; 1,057 wallets; 39 belts; 6 watches, 19 bracelets, and 290 logos which imitated international famous brands like Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton. (Source: VietNamNet)

October 24: ... Alibaba staged an eight-hour fashion show [Sunday], with 200 models wearing 80 brands, as part of the e-commerce company’s run up to the Nov. 11 shopping blitz known as Singles’ Day in China. ... The fashion show also was an opportunity for Alibaba to build better relationships with foreign brands, many of which warily eye the company. On the one hand, Alibaba’s sites control about three quarters of e-commerce in China and provide a partnership few can avoid. Tmall is Alibaba’s platform for brands like Nike and Costco to sell directly to consumers. But Alibaba’s other major shopping site, Taobao, which has 9 million small independent sellers and an eBay-type business model, has been heavily criticized by brands for its proliferation of counterfeit products. (Source: Fortune)

In Brief
Help AAFA and K.I.D.S/Fashion Delivers raise one million pairs!
AAFA has partnered with K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers to supply one million pairs of socks to the nation’s homeless. Donations began on October 10, in honor of World Homeless Day, and will continue throughout the next 12 months. Individuals and groups are encouraged to show their support on social media using #OneMillionPairs. More information is available at www.onemillionpairs.org.

Congratulations to the Doneger Group! We congratulate Abbey Doneger and the entire Doneger Group for 70 years in business. Thank you for your dedication to the industry!

Product Safety updates: On October 18, AAFA along with nearly four dozen trade associations sent a letter to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in opposition to the Commission’s announcement to resume consideration of the final rules on Voluntary Remedial Actions and Guidelines for Voluntary Recall Notices and Disclosure Under Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act. Signatories of the letter object to the proposed rules on the grounds that they exceed the Commission’s statutory authority. The letter urges the Commission to withdraw the rules and work with stakeholders to craft reforms that improve the ability to best protect consumers while minimizing burdens on both the CPSC staff and other impacted parties.

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.

Visit our events calendar for all webinars and industry events. Be sure to save the date for AAFA's Executive Summit: March 1-3, 2017 at the newly remodeled Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. 

Other Industry Events