It has been an incredibly busy year advocating across our shared interests in trade, supply chain, and brand protection. In addition to our work on Capitol Hill and around the globe, AAFA has developed educational programming and tools to support your day-to-day.

In case you missed it, here is a list of tools and research created in 2018:

AAFA Member Resources: Developed exclusively for AAFA members, these resources provide actionable recommendations and insights for the industry.

NEW TODAY - Health & Safety Guidelines for Workers in Denim Finishing.

In 2018, AAFA also collaborated with our Corporate Social Responsibility partner Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) to develop the Working Hours Best Practices and AAFA North Korea Guidance to help members improve compliance throughout their factories, released our new Proposition 65 Best Practices guidance, and the annual ApparelStats and ShoeStats. Stay tuned for new materials coming out in the coming weeks!

Open Industry Resources: AAFA was proud to release the 19th edition of our Restricted Substance List (RSL) this year. With detailed information about the regulations and laws restricting or banning chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products around the world, the RSL is a free tool for all parts of the apparel and footwear industry.

For more industry tools and research, visit aafaglobal.org/solutions.

Want to get more engaged with AAFA in 2019 and help us create positive change in the industry? Here are a few ways to get involved:

Meet our Team and don’t hesitate to contact us with questions.

Explore AAFA Committees to get the most out of your membership. 

Engage in AAFA coalitions and initiatives including the AAFA/FLA Commitment to Responsible Recruitment a proactive effort to address potential forced labor risks for migrant workers in the global supply chain; Americans for Free Trade a broad coalition of industries united against tariffs; or the U.S. Global Value Chain Coalition a group of industries on a mission to educate policymakers and the public about the American jobs and domestic economic growth generated through global value chains.

Build your travel calendar for 2019! In particular, we hope your company will be represented at the flagship AAFA Executive Summit: DEMAND + DELIVER and the Global Supply Chain & Trade Conference this spring. Also, the ever-popular Traceability Seminar (this year hosted by Target in Minneapolis). Information regarding all of these opportunities, our incredible American Image Awards gala, and our webinars, is available at aafaglobal.org/events. 

Thank you for subscribing to the AAFA Weekly Brief and stay tuned for the next edition after New Year’s! We truly appreciate your engagement and support as we continue to serve you in the new year. 

What else you should know this week: AAFA submitted post hearing comments regarding the GSP status of Indonesia and Thailand, as well as opposed the Senate's efforts to expand Federal Prison Industries. Learn more here.

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