In Brief

NAFTA update: Round three of intense negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will take place in Ottawa beginning September 23. AAFA’s Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, Nate Herman, will attend. Further updates will be shared with appropriate AAFA committees later this week and during the coming weeks. If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact AAFA Membership. Members are encouraged to share any thoughts or concerns regarding the negotiations with Nate Herman.

AAFA concerns over ILO monitoring mission in Uzbekistan: On September 13, AAFA sent a letter to ILO Director-General Ryder to voice concerns regarding the current ILO monitoring mission in Uzbekistan. AAFA believes the ILO plays a key role in the international community’s efforts to stop the use of state‐sponsored and state‐orchestrated forced labor in the Uzbek cotton harvest, and have strongly supported the deployment of ILO monitors to Uzbekistan. However, the ILO’s reporting on behalf of the World Bank raises serious concerns about the mission’s accuracy, methodology, and approach.

AAFA submits comments on government procurement for Buy American Hire American report: AAFA submitted comments to the Department of Commerce on September 18 highlighting its strong support for the Berry Amendment and for government procurement commitments in trade agreements. The comments highlighted the Berry Amendment’s importance for U.S. jobs and threats to the industry, such as unfair competition from federal prisons.

Comments on Caribbean Basin trade program: AAFA submitted comments to the United States Trade Representative on September 15 as part of the Administration's review of the Caribbean Basin trade program.

Spotlight on AAFA’s Footwear Action Committee: This member-led group serves as a dedicated and formalized platform for members to discuss issues unique to the production, sourcing, and selling of shoes. To see who is already taking part, view the committee roster. Contact membership@aafaglobal.org to join this group or any of AAFA’s 11 active committees, subcommittees, councils, and working groups.

Next week at Under Armour: Many thanks in advance to our friends at Under Armour for hosting AAFA’s Fall 2017 Executive Committee and Board of Directors Meetings next week at its headquarters in Baltimore, MD. We look forward to a very productive meeting September 26-27!