Newsletter at-a-glance
"We’re pushing for our rights every day in D.C., the rights of our industry. We believe we are over taxed, we believe we are over regulated ... we fight hard so the industry can sleep at night." - hear more from AAFA's Rick Helfenbein on the American Fashion Podcast (see AAFA News), including what the association is focused on right now and what's ahead.
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March 6: ...The EU has drawn up a target list of 100 US goods worth €2.8bn ($3.5bn, £2.5bn), the BBC understands. ... EU commissioners are expected to discuss the proposals on Wednesday. ( Source: BBC)
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March 6: House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, just back from NAFTA talks in Mexico, said Tuesday he believes the United States will not scrap the trade agreement. ( Source: CNBC)
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March 5: ... The only thing he’s been consistent about for 20 years is that he wants tariffs, says VandeHei. "He thinks the Chinese are screwing us." He keeps saying, "give me tariffs," and gets talked out of it each time, but now he wants to do it, he says. ( Source: Apparel Magazine)
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March 1: ... "The remedy is a label on a garment that goes against a lot of industry knowledge. It goes against the federal rules. The idea of adding a label that singles out one particular garment seems a bit extreme," [said Steve Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association]. ( Source: California Apparel News)
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March 1: ... What the research revealed, is that more than 50 percent of emissions are coming from just three stages: dyeing and finishing, yarn preparation, and fiber production. (Source: VAMP Footwear)
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February 27: The American Apparel & Footwear Association has called on the Federal Trade Commission to clarify apparent ambiguity in the commission’s rules on the labeling of goods sold in the United States and to provide a clearer definition of "materials." ( Source: American Shipper)
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March 5: High-end fakes, social-media advertising, and shoes designed to mess with our sense of luxury: truly, there's never been a better, weirder time to buy fake sneaks. (Source: GQ)
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March 5: ... In a report – titled Governance Frameworks to Counter Illicit Trade – published to explore the institutional capacity to effectively counter illicit trade, the OECD highlights the ineffective penalties and sanctions for shipping illicit goods, the insufficient checks and screening of small parcels, and the lack of control over goods passing through free trade zones. ( Source: Securing Industry)
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March 2: ...The problem has been a problem, and a serious one, for so long that one wonders how much Amazon really cares. ( Source: TechCrunch)
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AAFA on the American Fashion Podcast: AAFA President and CEO Rick Helfenbein joined Charles Beckwith and Cathy Schepis on the American Fashion Podcast to discuss all things AAFA - from trade and supply chain priorities to the upcoming American Image Awards.
What a Summit! Last week, AAFA hosted 200 industry executives at The Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. with fantastic insights from business leaders inside, outside, and alongside the industry! Read more about the Summit and topics from artificial intelligence to retail innovation from Footwear News and Sourcing Journal (login required). Stay tuned for a video recap next week.
SAVE THE DATE! We invite you to join us next year at the MGM National Harbor March 13-15, 2019.
AAFA welcomes new Chairman, Board members: The ceremonial transition and passing of the gavel from outgoing Chairman Paula Zusi to Tom Glaser took place on March 1. Following the 2018 Board of Directors elections, these individuals were confirmed as AAFA's Board of Directors leadership for the 2018-2019 term:
- Chairman: Thomas Glaser, Vice President, VF Corporation & President – Global Supply Chain
- Vice-Chairman: Gary Simmons, President and CEO, Gerber Childrenswear, LLC
- Treasurer: Kurt Cavano, President, Infor GT Nexus Commerce Network
- Secretary: Colin Browne, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Under Armour, Inc.
We are also excited to welcome new members to the Board, including:
- Halide Alagoz, Ralph Lauren Corporation
- Ted Dagnese, Lululemon Athletica
- Todd Kahn, Tapestry Inc.
- Sarah Clarke, PVH Corp.
- Frank Sauceda, Luen Thai International
AAFA supports resumption of east coast port labor talks: On March 2, AAFA signed on to a letter with more than 100 other federal and state trade associations urging port management and labor to resume talks and conclude a new contract before the current East Coast port labor contract expires on September 2018.
A busy time for the AAFA Government Relations (GR) Committee! AAFA’s GR Committee directs lobbying and advocacy efforts on policies affecting the U.S. apparel and footwear industry. With near-constant new threats on international trade, the team is working furiously to advocate for the best-interest of this industry and the U.S.
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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Member Welcome: INCOPRO
 INCOPRO is a brand protection company that was founded by a law firm. It uses technology, combined with IP and investigation expertise, to deliver effective and targeted protection to businesses looking to protect their IP assets online. Its TALISMAN brand protection system is used by many of the largest global brands to track and assess infringement issues across Marketplaces, Websites, Social Media, App Stores and more. INCOPRO’s expert analyst team use the TALISMAN technology and a range of language skills (including Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi etc.) to deliver prioritized enforcement against commercial scale infringements.
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March
March 7 Webinar: When Technology Meets Fashion Sustainability
March 15 Member-Only Webinar: Pivotal 2018 Mid-Term Elections & What's at Stake
March 28 Webinar: Chemical Management - Why Should I Care?
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D.C. is the place to be this spring!
AAFA hosts the industry in Washington with the Spring GR Committee Meeting (April 24) and the can’t miss conference for supply chain and sourcing professionals (April 25).
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Trade
