February 25: ... Speaking to a gathering of the nation’s governors at the White House, Trump was optimistic about closing the remaining gaps over U.S. demands for major changes in China’s state-led economic system. “We’re going to have another summit. We’re going to have a signing summit, which is even better,” the president said, referring to plans he announced Sunday to host the Chinese leader at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida next month. (Source: Washington Post)

February 24: President Donald Trump said Sunday he will extend a deadline to escalate tariffs on Chinese imports, citing “substantial progress” in weekend talks between the two countries. Trump tweeted that there had been “productive talks” on some of the difficult issues dividing the U.S. and China, adding that “I will be delaying the U.S. increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1.” (Source: Associated Press)

February 21: Rick Helfenbein [of the] American Apparel and Footwear Association, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss how additional tariffs resulting from the U.S.-China trade talks could impact the apparel industry. (Source: CNBC)

February 26: Within seconds the machine has my precise dimensions after taking three scans of my body. On a screen outside I get to see myself modelled in 3D. ... The idea is that you can then dress the virtual model of yourself in various outfits online and see how they look from all angles. The retailer can also send you fashion ideas as new designs come in, as modelled by your digital avatar. (Source: BBC)

February 26: ... When it comes to fashion, water is no drop in the bucket. Conventional textile dyeing uses anywhere from 25 to 40 gallons for every two pounds of fabric. Globally, the water used in textile production (including cotton farming) adds up to about 24.56 trillion gallons. (Source: Green Biz)

February 26: ... All manufacturers face challenges in moving their operations to Southeast Asia, including constraints on port capacity and labor. And no country can easily supplant China’s scale and production volumes ... after three decades of the industry migrating there from the United States. (Source: Reuters)

February 26: ... With the Senate IP Subcommittee back up and running and the seeming momentum on fixing patent eligibility law, it’s worth taking a look at the Subcommittee’s leadership and what their collective experience could mean for substantive change. (Source: IP Watchdog)

February 25: ... Rowdywear Pvt. Ltd, owned by Devarakonda, had approached the City Civil Court at Bangalore alleging the sale of counterfeit ‘Rowdy’ merchandise on Amazon. It was contended that clothes made by Rowdywear were being sold on amazon.in under the name ‘Generic’. (Source: Bar & Bench - India)

February 21: ... Each shoe cost approximately RM25 (US$6) to make, and were being sold at about RM100 (US$25) a pop – a fraction of the price the legitimate versions are sold for in stores. However, consumers were not made aware that the shoes were counterfeit, and were instead told that they were being sold at bargain-basement prices because the business was online, and did not have the overhead costs that were incurred having a shop. (Source: Yahoo)

JUST RELEASED! AAFA publishes 20th edition of RSL: Today, AAFA published the 20th edition of the Restricted Substance List (RSL). As the “go-to” resource for industry professionals tasked with chemical management, the RSL lists banned and restricted chemicals and substances for finished apparel, footwear, and home textile products, identifying the most restrictive regulations worldwide. The RSL is an open-industry resource available to both AAFA members and the broader community. Download here.

Get the latest Trade War developments: On Sunday evening, President Trump tweeted that he will postpone the planned tariff increase from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of U.S. imports from China. The 10% rate on these products – including all textiles, all travel goods, all hats, and select apparel and accessories – has been in effect since September 24, 2018, and had been scheduled to jump to 25% on March 2. To receive regular updates on the Trade War, and insight on what these developments mean for the industry, sign up for AAFA's Government Relations Committee.

Register today for the AAFA Executive Summit! Demand + Deliver will explore what’s evolving, who’s innovating, the impact of politics and policy, and how these dynamics will affect your business. Check out the agenda and register today!

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