American Apparel & Footwear Association,update

 

SUBSCRIBE | ABOUT | EVENTS | ADVERTISE | JOIN July 22, 2025   AAFA is keeping busy this summer - this newsletter will help you stay on top of our latest updates and the key industry news you need to tackle the week ahead. Commission Invites Feedback on Future Environmental Legislation Simplification July 22: The Commission, on Tuesday (22 July), launched a Call for Evidence on how to simplify environmental legislation and reduce administrative burdens at the implementation level. The upcoming environmental omnibus proposal will put together a series of measures to simplify environmental legislation concerning the circular economy, industrial emissions and waste management. The objective is to identify existing EU environmental policies that have the potential for real simplification for operators without affecting the EU’s environmental objectives and the protection of human health. (Source: European Commission) Bangladesh Garment Workers Report Health Issues Due to Heat July 22: ... The country is the second largest exporter of readymade garments in the world, per data from the Asia Floor Wage Alliance, and the apparel industry represents about 11% of the country’s overall GDP. Earlier this year, a group of fashion leaders and fair labor advocates urged the Bangladesh government to improve working conditions in the country’s manufacturing industry. Workers in the sector have been advocating for livable wages and better conditions. (Source: Fashion Dive) California Retailers, AAFA & NRF to Launch U.S.’ First Textile PRO July 21: The California Retailers Association, the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), and the National Retail Federation (NRF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly establish an independent Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO). This new body will lead efforts to divert apparel and textiles from landfills by collecting, repairing, reusing, and recycling post-consumer materials. The initiative aligns with California’s pioneering Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law for textiles—the first of its kind in the U.S. (Source: Fibre2Fashion) LISTEN: ‘We Are on Our Knees’: U.S. Tariffs Devastate Lesotho’s Garment Workers July 20: Crowds of women, bundled up in wooly hats and mittens against the sharp winter chill, wait every morning at the gates of a garment factory in Lesotho's capital, hoping that a few among them will be called in to work a shift. But no-one comes out and the factory gates – which bear the name of the Taiwanese company that runs it in red Chinese lettering – remain firmly shut. It's one of the few factories in what used to be called "the Denim Capital of Africa" that's still operating after U.S. President Donald Trump announced in April he was slapping the impoverished nation with the highest tariffs in the world. (Source: NPR) AAFA Urges Long-Term AGOA Renewal to Boost U.S.-Africa Trade July 22: Beth Hughes, vice president of trade and customs policy at the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), has delivered testimony before the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), highlighting the importance of renewing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for calendar year 2026. Speaking at the annual review hearing (Docket Number USTR-2025-0012), Hughes stated that AGOA plays a pivotal role in driving US private-sector investment and employment across Africa and the United States. She shared testimonials from AAFA member companies, underscoring the impact of AGOA on business expansion and job creation. (Source: Fibre2Fashion) Trade Groups Back Push for U.S.-Made Military Footwear and Textiles July 17: ... American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) president and CEO Stephen Lamar said: “We will be working with Congress to make sure the final bill, once it is presented to President Trump for signature, preserves these measures.” “We will also be advocating to ensure that the NDAA helps wean the US Government away from its addiction to forced prison labor in the US federal prison system. At a time when we are working to strengthen the defense industrial base and promote more Made in USA, it is endlessly frustrating when the US Government continues to award contracts in a preferential manner to US federal prison factories.” (Source: Just Style) Brands Are Increasing Prices. Will U.S. Consumers Keep Buying? July 17: ... Inflation remains top of mind for everyone, especially with the high tariffs imposed on all our key supplier countries. The new CPI data shows these costs are already moving through supply chains, contributing to price increases across the economy,” says Steve Lamar, CEO and president of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. “As we enter the second half of the year and the rush-shipping safety net begins to unravel going into the critical back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons, it’s clear these tariff costs will increasingly be passed on to consumers.” (Source: Vogue Business) ‘Just Look at What Happened Last Time’: U.S. Exporters Fear Trump Trade War Fallout July 16: ... “That ‘Made in USA’ dynamic has very, very strong appeal overseas, in Europe, in Canada — well, had been in Canada — in key Asian markets, Middle East markets as well,” said Stephen Lamar, the president and CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, which represents brands like Levi Strauss and New Balance. “And so to the extent we see either retaliation in the form of tariffs or retaliation in the form of, say, consumer boycott, which is also something we’ve seen in Canada, that begins to hurt the ability of companies in the U.S. to dig down and do more ‘Made in America.” (Source: Politico) How Dupes Turned Online Shopping Upside Down July 22: ... The internet has helped dupes spread like wildfire, so much so that even relatively niche and unknown products — in fashion, home goods, makeup, and tech — likely have a doppelgänger floating around out there. It has never been faster or easier to make and sell a copy of something. What was once relegated to Canal Street is now an industry in and of itself. Some companies seem to operate with the express purpose of copying popular (or even niche) consumer products. And for American shoppers already accustomed to inexpensive products, finding the same thing for less is second nature. (Source: The Verge) Hawley Says Congress Must Step in to Fix AI Companies’ Mass Theft of Copyrighted Works July 20: ... Hawley opened by saying that AI companies are training their models on stolen materials and have copied enough works to fill 22 Libraries of Congress. He also noted in his introductory and subsequent remarks, using public documents from the pending case between Meta and a number of authors, that Meta employees specifically warned the company on multiple occasions that using pirated works would subject them to liability. “Meta’s conduct is not an exception, it’s the rule in the AI space,” Hawley said. “Do whatever you want and count on lawyers and lobbyists to fix it later. They care about power and money.” (Source: IPWatchdog) AAFA Calls on USTR to Include Domestic Marketplaces on Counterfeit List July 18: The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) wants the Trump administration to crack down on counterfeit risks posed by domestic entities. Steve Lamar, president of the AAFA, penned a letter to U.S. Trade Representation (USTR) Jamieson Greer Thursday, calling on Greer’s office to include domestic marketplaces on the annual Notorious Markets List (NML). (Source: Sourcing Journal) How Dupes Are Taking the Luxury Market by Storm July 17: ... The rise of dupe culture is more than a quirk of online shopping – it is a consumer shift with market-moving implications. Once framed as substitutes for those who could not afford the “real thing,” dupes are now hailed as smart alternatives in their own right. The growth of platforms like TikTok has fueled this shift, with viral content focused on comparing high-end products to their lower-cost counterparts, often with the conclusion that the cheaper product is “just as good.” (Source: The Fashion Law) AAFA' s Chelsea Murtha, Steve Lamar, and Andrew Pappas in Sacramento, CA on July 17 as part of the PRO launch. Producer Responsibility Organization for textiles in California: AAFA has joined forces with The California Retailers Association and the National Retail Federation to establish an independent, 501(c)(3) Producer Responsibility Organization dedicated to ensuring that apparel and textiles are diverted from landfills. Together our organizations will collect, repair, reuse, and recycle materials after use in compliance with California’s first-in-the-nation Extended Producer Responsibility law for textiles (SB 707).   Read more about the initiative in Fibre2Fashion, Ecotextile News, Waste Today Magazine, Retail Insight Network, and Apparel Resources. Questions? Contact Chelsea Murtha. Brand protection and consumer awareness: Last week, AAFA sent a letter asking the Trump Administration to list domestic platforms, along with foreign platforms as dictated by comments and the inter-agency review process, in the annual Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (the Notorious Markets List).   It is Official! July is now "National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month," S.RES.314 was confirmed.   Questions? Contact Jennifer Hanks about AAFA’s Brand Protection Council (BPC) and upcoming BPC calls with guests from Google plus Alibaba's e-commerce platforms including Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, Taobao, and Tmall Group.   Read about AAFA's brand protection work in Sourcing Journal, Just Style, American Journal of Transportation, and Textile World. Beth Hughes testifying in front of USTR on July 18, articulating the importance of the AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP programs. Take action on AGOA and Haiti HOPE/HELP renewal: With the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Haiti HOPE/HELP programs both due to expire in 70 days (September 30), AAFA's Vice President, Trade & Customs Policy Beth Hughes testified about the importance of these programs in front of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on July 18. Access the details and list of fellow panelists of the 2026 AGOA Annual Eligibility Review Public Hearing.   Concurrently, we invite you to help magnify our urgent asks of Congress to reauthorize these programs as soon as possible. Access the advocacy letter that you can tailor for your members of Congress with just a few clicks! For related letters, see the full AAFA Legislative Action Center and 2025 legislative priorities. Questions? Contact Beth Hughes. Last week, Just Style published an op-ed by AAFA President and CEO Steve Lamar titled "Is U.S. doomed to repeat Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act mistakes 95 years on?" Ten days to August 1 - tariff developments in play: AAFA continues to closely monitor tariff announcements leading up to August 1 and to hold discussions with USTR, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and more.    For updates in this arena, AAFA will host its next two member-only tariff calls on July 28 and August 4 at noon ET.  Register for each individually via the AAFA Calendar of Events. For questions on how to take part in these calls or the AAFA Trade & Customs Committee calls, please contact Beth Hughes.   In addition to recent tariff-related comments, public statements, media op-eds, and key statistics, the Fashion Tariffs 101 hub offers a tracker of Trade Negotiations by Country, updated weekly. Spotlight on Made in USA:  This summer, AAFA is excited to host a pop-up event on September 4, Practical Approaches to Made in USA. Supported by National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and SourceAmerica, it will be hosted at the NIB offices in Alexandria, VA, featuring valuable insights and strategies on how to leverage existing production and technology to increase the manufacturing of apparel, footwear, and textiles within the U.S. Questions? Contact Brielle Papalia.    Additionally, as we prepare for America's 250th Anniversary next year, AAFA will be hosting a Member-Only Call on America’s Semi-Quincentennial celebration. Please join us on July 31 with the U.S. Semi-Quincentennial Commission to discuss these year-long celebrations and how to get involved.  Member Welcome: Berne Berne work and outdoor clothing for men, women and youth. Browse outerwear – coats, jackets, coveralls and bibs. Plus tees, denim jeans, and more. July-September   July 23 | Online: Webinar: Tariffs Today, Unknown Threats Tomorrow - How to Plan for The Global Supply Chain Shift July 28 | Online: Weekly Member-Only Call on Tariffs*  July 30 | Online: Webinar: Beyond the Fabric: Packaging with Purpose July 31 | Online: Member-Only Call on America’s Semi-Quincentennial* August 4 | Online: Weekly Member-Only Call on Tariffs* August 11 | Online: Weekly Member-Only Call on Tariffs* August 20 | Online: Webinar: Textile EPR Readiness: Regulatory Insights and Industry Perspectives August 20 | Online: Monthly Member-Only Shipping Roundtable* August 25 | Online: Weekly Member-Only Call on Tariffs* Sept. 4 | In-person: Practical Approaches to Made in USA Sept. 9 | In-person: Brand Protection Council September 2025 Meeting Sept. 10 | In-person: Brand Protection Lobby Day Sept. 11 | Online: Webinar: Textile EPR Readiness: Regulatory Insights and Industry Perspectives Sept 24 | Online: Monthly Member-Only Shipping Roundtable*   *member-only content Practical Approaches to Made in USA September 4 | Alexandria, VA Contact Megan Balkovic for 2026 sponsorship opportunities. Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars, scheduled events, and member/committee calls. About the American Apparel & Footwear Association The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn products companies, and their suppliers, which compete in the global market. Representing more than 1,100 world famous name brands, AAFA is the trusted public policy and political voice of the apparel and footwear industry, its management and shareholders, its more than 3.6 million U.S. workers, and its contribution of more than $523 billion in annual U.S. retail sales. AAFA drives progress on three key priorities: Brand Protection; Supply Chain & Sourcing; and Trade, Logistics, & Manufacturing. AAFA approaches this work through the lens of purpose-driven leadership in a manner that supports each member’s ability to build and sustain inclusive and diverse cultures, meet and advance ESG goals, and draw upon the latest technology. PRIORITIES | SOLUTIONS | ACCESS | ABOUT | EVENTS 740 6th Street, NW 3rd and 4th Floors Washington, DC 20001 T: (202) 853-9080 Copyright © 2025 American Apparel & Footwear Association