March 9: THE Alliance is to set up an independently managed trust fund to safeguard cargo operations should one of its liner shipping group members go bankrupt. Hapag-Lloyd, Yang Ming, K Line, MOL and NYK said today they had finalised their network details ahead of THE Alliance launch on 1 April, and within the vessel sharing agreement (VSA) was a "unique contingency plan". ... THE Alliance said customer reaction to the "incident last summer" had shown "a clear demand for such a safety net". (Source: The Loadstar)

March 7: In a major development over the issue of shifting all tanneries from the capital’s Hazaribagh area, the High Court has directed the government to immediately shutdown the Hazaribagh tanneries and disconnect all their utility services, including gas line, power and water, as they missed several deadlines to relocate the factories to Savar. The HC bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim came up with the order [March 6] following a petition filed by Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (BELA). The HC bench asked the ministries of home, environment, industries and inspector general of police (IGP) to assist the Department of Environment to shut down the tanneries. (Source: The Independent - Bangladesh)

March 1: As a sustainable lifestyle blogger, my job is to make conscious consumerism look good. Over the course of four years Instagramming eco-friendly outfits, testing non-toxic nail polish brands, and writing sustainable city guides, I became a proponent of having it all—fashion, fun, travel, beauty—while still being eco-friendly. ... According to the lore of conscious consumerism, every purchase you make is a "moral act"—an opportunity to "vote with your dollar" for the world you want to see. We are told that if we don’t like what a company is doing, we should stop buying their products and force them to change. We believe that if we give consumers transparency and information, they’ll make the right choice. But sadly, this is not the way capitalism is set up to work. (Source: Quartz)

March 14: House Republicans continue to aggressively push their border adjustment tax (BAT) and, if successful, Americans will soon find it hard to get affordable clothing. ... In general, the House Republican "A Better Way" tax blueprint has many excellent attributes. The problem is that the "pay for" is a direct hit on the apparel, footwear and retail industry. It is also a direct hit on the American consumer. (Source: The Hill, op-ed from AAFA's Rick Helfenbein)

March 11: A trade war between China and the United States would only cause pain, China's commerce minister said on Saturday, as analysts say the spectre of deteriorating U.S.-China ties is likely to weigh on confidence of exporters and investors worldwide. "A trade war would not benefit either country or either country's people, you could say it would have no advantage whatsoever," Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan told reporters on the sidelines of the annual parliament session in Beijing. (Source: Reuters)

March 10: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Friday he hopes to start the formal process of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement in coming weeks. Under U.S. law, the government must tell Congress 90 days before it signs any new trade agreement. Ross said he wants to take the step of notifying lawmakers "sometime in the next couple of weeks." (Source: CNBC)

March issue: "I'm from the government and I’m here to help." President Ronald Reagan declared those to be the nine most terrifying words in the English language. In many cases that may be true. But not when it comes to the protection of intellectual property (IP), where the U.S. government has emerged as an important partner in the fight to stem global counterfeiting of U.S. apparel, footwear, and travel goods brands. (Source: Fashion Mannuscript, op-ed from AAFA's Steve Lamar)

March 13: A senior Chinese official has promised to strengthen anti-counterfeit laws after a high-profile call to action from Alibaba chairman Jack Ma was echoed by other industry leaders. The e-commerce giant says that Minister of State Administration for Industry and Commerce Zhang Mao acknowledged the comments made by Ma in an open letter published on the Twitter-like Weibo service, in which he called for tougher penalties for counterfeiters and asked the government to do more to help businesses fight the scourge. (Source: Securing Industry)

March 13: The unauthorized sale of genuine products can cause real damage for luxury brands, both in terms of serious and lasting reputational damage, and loss of profits. But all is not lost; here we take a high level look at some of the avenues brand owners have in the European Union ("EU") for challenging unauthorized sales, and what to consider about when approaching this issue. (Source: The Fashion Law)

In Brief

Take action NOW to stop the BAT: Please contact your Members of Congress TODAY to oppose the costly Border Adjustment Tax (BAT) initiative that would impose income taxes on imports from all countries, jeopardize millions of important U.S. apparel and footwear jobs, and raise prices on everyday consumer products.

A look back at the 2017 AAFA Executive Summit: In case you missed it, the 2017 AAFA Executive Summit earlier this month brought together more than 200 apparel and footwear industry executives and other exciting, influential voices in Washington. It was a great week for thoughtful conversation, networking, and inspiring ideas from rebels, influencers, and transformers! Mark your calendars for the 2018 Summit back at the Watergate Hotel February 28 to March 2, 2018! Click here to view photos from the event, and check out this recap in Footwear News.

We need you! Complete your Annual Survey of Manufacturers questionnaire: The U.S. Census Bureau's 2016 Annual Survey of Manufacturers (ASM) survey will be in your mailbox soon. This year, for the first time, you can respond electronically. Your responses are important and play a vital role in policymaking and forecasting, including AAFA's own statistical reporting and publications. Note that your questionnaire is confidential. Please do your part by completing your Annual Survey of Manufacturers (ASM) survey today.

Meet AAFA’s Brand Protection Council (BPC): Charged with helping to protect U.S. branded products against cheap imitations that are flooding the marketplace, AAFA’s BPC is composed of legal, brand enforcement, and marketing representatives from AAFA member companies. The next BPC conference call for members takes place March 27. Contact membership@aafaglobal.org to learn more.

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

Member Welcome: American Textile Company

March & April March 15 Webinar: Energize the World's Oldest Material with a New Marketing Message March 16 Member-only Call: Negotiating Carrier Contracts – Navigating Your Way Through This Year’s Contract Season March 22-23 Government Relations Committee Meeting and Day on the Hill March 30 Webinar: Product Development, Sourcing, & Supplier Collaboration - An Ariat Story April 24 2017 AAFA American Image Awards   Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars and industry events.

Don’t miss our webinar tomorrow!