September 30: In [last] week's presidential debate, GOP nominee Donald Trump famously bragged that his — presumably lawful — avoidance of income taxes makes him "smart." ... But tax reduction strategies only work when we can see the taxes we have to pay. What happens when we don't even know we are being taxed? (Source: The Hill, op-ed by AAFA's Stephen Lamar)

September 30: ... Donald Trump constantly says we're getting killed on trade and has singled out iPhones and cars as products that will be made in America after he becomes president. Hillary Clinton has accused Trump of hypocrisy for selling imported clothes and has said "you can't make America great if you don't make things in America." These demands may be good politics but they're not good economics. The truth is that American manufacturing is thriving, the United States is a great place for companies to invest, and the ability to import from abroad is vital to keeping it that way. When politicians perpetuate and pander to myths about trade, they have to pretend that globalization hasn't been an incredible force for good in our economy. (Source: Washington Examiner)

October 4: Hanjin Shipping Co., the South Korean container line whose filing for bankruptcy protection roiled the global supply chain, could have survived if creditors had provided the company with aid, Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho said. (Source: Bloomberg)

September 26: The role of business in society is fundamentally shifting, and as companies navigate this shift, they are having to hire a different type of talent. They are the Chief Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Officers, Directors of Social Impact (as I was called in my role at McKinsey), or the more creative Chief Greenskeepers. (Source: Forbes)

October 4: In April 2016, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) released a report on global trade in counterfeit and pirated products. The report analyzed nearly half a million customs seizures around the world over 2011–2013, and examined the impact of counterfeit goods on the economy and international trade. Alarmingly, the report found that trade in counterfeit goods increased by more than 80% in five years – from US$250 billion annually in 2008 to over US$461 billion in 2013. ... the study also found that counterfeiters are improving their logistics networks, taking advantage of the huge growth in online shopping.  (Source: The Fashion Law)

September 28: Should companies continue to invest in protecting their intellectual property in China if they can't enforce it? Over the past decade, the rule of law has noticeably strengthened throughout China, the world's second largest economy. Chinese intellectual property (IP) laws now embody many legal concepts familiar to most U.S. IP lawyers. China's IP enforcement laws and administrative procedures remain notoriously lax, however, and, as many U.S. and foreign companies believe, are not effective for most IP owners. (Source: Lexology)

In Brief
AAFA's Footwear Workshop: This Thursday, October 6, AAFA’s Footwear Workshop will take place at New Balance in Lawrence, MA. Last call to register! Meet the presenters here.

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) comments: As part of AAFA’s continued efforts to secure GSP for travel goods, AAFA submitted a letter on October 2 to the U.S. Trade Representative. The letter provides comments and a request to testify at the October 18 Travel Goods GSP eligibility hearing.

Hanjin Shipping update: AAFA was joined by Ken O'Brien from Gemini Shippers Group for a fourth member-only Hanjin Shipping briefing call last Friday, September 30. To access a recording of the member-only call, click here (login required). To learn more, or join AAFA's Transportation Group, contact Nate Herman. 

Product safety updates: Did you know AAFA's Product Safety Council (PSC) provides updates on industry best practices and national and international regulatory compliance developments? PSC members develop industry tools that help apparel and footwear companies navigate current and future product safety regulations. Join the PSC and AAFA’s other committees here. Also, learn more about our International Product Safety and Compliance Conference in Vietnam on November 15! 

Letters to debate moderators: In advance of the first Presidential debate, AAFA sent a letter to the moderator, Lester Holt, encouraging him to ask questions about UNICOR and the damaging impact prison factories have on USA manufacturing. AAFA will continue to provoke these questions in advance of the next two debates, airing October 9 and 19.

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.

Member Welcome: Omega Compliance

Omega Compliance provides its clients with complete transparency into their supply chain conditions as they endeavor to work with partners who are ethical, secure, and free from corrupt practices. Omega goes beyond monitoring to focus upon thorough assessments, comprehensive investigations, full disclosure, and effective remediation.

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. 

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