American Apparel & Footwear Association,update

AAFA Executive Summit March 4-6, 2026 | Washington, D.C. Join us March 4–6, 2026, in Washington, D.C., for the AAFA Executive Summit, where industry leaders tackle the forces reshaping businesses and defining the next moves. From technology and geopolitics to margin pressure, risk, and innovation, the 2026 program delivers high-level insight and strategic perspectives for navigating what’s next. REGISTER AGENDA Session Spotlights: Heritage, Innovation, and the Next 250 Years As the nation prepares to celebrate 250 years, American brands are honoring their heritage while reimagining what it means in a fast-changing world. This session brings together brand historians and archivists to discuss how storytelling, authenticity, and legacy can fuel innovation and connect the industry’s past to its future. It is both a celebration of history and a look ahead at how tradition continues to shape modern creativity and progress. Speakers: Dave Moore Archive & Digital Asset Manager Carhartt, Inc. Tracey Panek Historian, Director, Levi Strauss & Co. Archives Levi Strauss & Co.  Moderated by: Steve Lamar President & CEO AAFA  Risk and Power in a World on Edge Power, policy, and production are being rewritten in real time, and the ripple effects are redefining how every global brand operates. Industry C-suite cannot control geopolitics, but they can anticipate its impact on trade, compliance, and security. This conversation delivers front line insights from experts interpreting global policy, from Washington and beyond. Together, these leaders explore the evolving balance of power, the growing intersection of technology and regulation, and how bold executives are positioning their companies for smart, sustainable growth in a changing global landscape. Speakers: Emily Harding Director of the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology (INT) Program Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Lester Munson Co-Head of International Practice BGR Group Jeremie Waterman President of the China Center and Vice President for Greater China U.S. Chamber of Commerce Moderated by: Nate Herman Executive Vice President AAFA  Register by January 21 to save! EARLY BIRD ACCESS Summit Location Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004 Hotel Room Block JW Marriott Washington, DC 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004 Please use this link to reserve a room directly with the JW Marriott Washington DC, which is across the street and within walking distance from the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center. The deadline to reserve a room in AAFA's block at our negotiated rate is Monday, February 9, 2026; however, the room block may sell out before this date. Once the block is sold out, rooms and rates cannot be guaranteed. Follow speaker announcements and agenda updates with #AAFASummit Sponsorships for the Executive Summit are limited. If you'd like information about sponsoring the 2026 program or another AAFA event please contact Megan Balkovic for details. SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS February 3-4 | Long Beach, CA As product safety requirements continue to shift globally and in the U.S., staying aligned and prepared has never been more critical. AAFA’s 2026 Product Safety & Compliance Seminar in Long Beach, CA focuses on practical strategies for aligning global RSLs, managing chemical safety risk, and understanding how changing priorities at the CPSC could impact compliance programs in 2026 and beyond. REGISTER NOW AGENDA Sessions in Focus: RSLs in Sync: Aligning Safety Standards Across Global RSLs How can brands and retailers streamline diverse chemical safety requirements into a single, efficient framework? By consolidating multiple restricted substance standards, identifying overlaps and gaps, and integrating them into a structured testing program, organizations can achieve greater consistency, reduce risk, and strengthen compliance across global markets.   Speakers include: Michelle Aranda-Gran Senior Manager, Product Safety and Regulatory Compliance Tommy Bahama John Moraes Director of Global Product Compliance Vuori Moderated by Jaime Griggs Director of Business Development Hohenstein The Current (or Former) CPSC: Product Safety Predictions With major changes underway at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), companies are facing new complexities in product safety compliance. Understand how the agency’s evolving priorities could impact your operations, including eFiling, de minimis, and pending regulations, along with trends in enforcement and oversight. Be ready for what’s next with practical strategies to strengthen compliance programs, prepare for investigations, and navigate the growing complexity of federal requirements.   Speakers include: Kerianne Frylinck Senior Director Product Safety and Regulatory Compliance Burlington Stores Moderated by Will Troutman Partner Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP Seminar Location: The Westin Long Beach 333 East Ocean Boulevard Long Beach, CA 90802 Co-located with this seminar, AAFA’s Environmental and Social Responsibility Committee (on February 3 and 5, respectively) meetings provide attending members with expanded resources and alignment. (Separate registration required.) AAFA’s room blocks at both the Westin Long Beach and Hilton Long Beach have sold out. You may still book rooms at their published rates. Additional nearby hotel options are available. For questions about the event, contact Brielle Papalia.  Follow along with us on social media with #AAFASafe American Apparel & Footwear Association  Απεγγραφή Τρί 13 Ιαν, 11:07 μ.μ. (πριν από 5 ημέρες) προς εγώ SUBSCRIBE | ABOUT | EVENTS | ADVERTISE | JOIN January 13, 2026   AAFA is celebrating the passage of the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act and the AGOA Extension Act by the House! That and more in today's brief. What Does a Successful Supply Chain Look Like in 2026? Jan. 9: ... More than half (54%) of MESH respondents reported experiencing a significant supply chain disruption in the past 12 months. Yet fewer than one in three had the systems, data, or response structures in place to mitigate the downstream impact in real time. “This rise in exposure reflects not just external shocks but internal maturity gaps. Many businesses continue to treat supply chain resilience as an operational issue rather than an enterprise-level risk.” (Source: Just Style)  State PFAS Laws and Regulations Taking Effect in 2026 Jan. 7: While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working to revamp regulations on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, including reporting requirements, states are charging ahead with their own PFAS legislation through 2026. The legislation is a mix of recently enacted laws and statutory provisions being phased in, including reporting requirements with summer deadlines. (Source: Manufacturing Dive)  Listen: Can AI Power a Green Fashion Revolution? Jan. 6: Could AI technology help the fashion industry get to grips with sustainability, and arrest its brutal impact on the planet? With a huge carbon footprint, vast water usage and filling up of landfills, the fashion industry’s impact is well documented. But companies throughout the supply chain have rolled out tech solutions, many of them AI powered, to address these issues. How effective are they? (Source: BBC)  U.S. House Approves Africa Trade Program Extension, Sends Bill to Senate Jan. 13: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday that would renew Washington’s preferential trade program for some African countries through 2028. The House approved the extension for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), first enacted in 2000 to provide duty-free access to the U.S. market for eligible Sub-Saharan countries and products, by a vote of 340 to 54, the House Press Gallery said in a posting on the social media website X. The bill will next go to the Senate. (Source: CNBC Africa) Tariffs Trigger Rising Rate of Job Layoffs Inside Supply Chain Jan. 12: A rising number of supply chain managers say that President Donald Trump’s tariffs and associated costs are leading to layoffs and a lower confidence about investments needed to grow their businesses. Double the percentage of supply chain managers (32%) are reporting layoffs as compared to April (16%), according to a new survey conducted by the Association for Supply Chain Management and CNBC. (Source: CNBC) Trump Ready to Pivot if Court Overturns Tariffs, Aide Says Jan. 9: Donald Trump’s administration is ready to use other authorities to quickly reimpose tariffs if the Supreme Court strikes down the president’s global levies, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said. “We’ve got a very, very detailed backup plan. We’re confident that if we were to lose this case, that we can get all of the president’s policies in place almost immediately with alternative authorities,” Hassett said Friday on Fox News. (Source: Bloomberg) Listen: The Themes That Will Define the 2026 Fashion Agenda Jan. 7: BoF and McKinsey’s annual State of Fashion report finds the industry entering 2026 with caution: 46 percent of executives expect conditions to worsen, citing geopolitics, macro volatility and the risk of shoppers pulling back. Yet there is also a pulse of optimism around AI-driven efficiency, luxury’s creative recalibration and fresh consumer interest in categories from smart glasses to fine jewelry. Tariffs remain the dominant near-term swing factor. Brands mitigated pain in 2025 by pulling forward inventory, but as that cushion runs out, the full impact shows up in 2026 in costs and pricing. (Source: Business of Fashion) Google Expands AI-Assisted Shopping Features of Gemini Jan. 11: Google said Sunday that it is expanding the shopping features in its AI chatbot by teaming up with Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair and other big retailers to turn the Gemini app into a virtual merchant as well as an assistant. An instant checkout function will allow customers to make purchases from some businesses and through a range of payment providers without leaving the Gemini chat they used to find products, according to Walmart and Google. (Source: Associated Press) World Cup Preparations are Well Underway – and so is Brand Enforcement Jan. 9: ... For sportswear giants and official kit suppliers, the World Cup is not just a marketing opportunity but one of the highest-risk moments in the product lifecycle. Demand for jerseys, training gear, and fan apparel spikes sharply, and with it comes a predictable surge in counterfeiting activity. And the result is a renewed focus on enforcement that starts months before the first match is even played in June. (Source: The Fashion Law) Establishing Legal Incentives to Hold Big Tech Accountable Jan. 8: ... This reform advances a framework in which social media platforms can be held accountable for the harms that result from the company’s design and business choices, while continuing to provide a safe harbor in cases where the harms directly result from the speech of its users. This framework is one where platform incentives would more closely align with the development of a safer digital square: including more robust protections for kids and effective safeguards to prevent the exploitation of these digital spaces by bad actors, traffickers and pedophile rings.  (Source: Tech Policy. Press) AGOA, Haiti HOPE/HELP and more: Yesterday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act and the AGOA Extension Act with bipartisan support. The vote provides for a three-year retroactive extension of each program, which will restore critical trade preference programs that lapsed on September 30, 2025, if they are ultimately enacted into law. As the bills move next to the Senate, we invite all members and stakeholders to use the AAFA Legislative Action Center (or the phone!) to urge support for your representatives to reauthorize these key U.S. trade preference programs immediately.    After much anticipation last Friday, the Supreme Court did not issue a decision on the legality of the tariffs under IEEPA. As anticipation continues to build, we encourage AAFA members to stay up to date on tariff negotiations and key deadlines with the Trade and Customs Committee (TCC) and via member-only tariff calls. Members can now register for the call taking place  Monday, January 26 at noon ET and the next Shipping Roundtable on Wednesday, January 21 at noon ET.    Celebrating AAFA’s 50th American Image Awards: AAFA has announced an inspirational slate of honorees for the 2026 American Image Awards this spring, Tuesday, April 21, in New York City. For more than 50 years, the American Image Awards has been the night the fashion industry celebrates the people behind every thread, from design to innovation, and sustainability. Explore event access and partnerships. Welcome Missy Branson: AAFA is pleased to welcome Missy Branson as our Government Contracts Liaison. In this role, she will help expand AAFA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of government contractors in Washington. We’re excited to have her as a valuable teammate and a trusted resource for the entire AAFA community!   Missy has more than three decades of government relations and advocacy experience. She is the founder and principal of Branson360°, a full-service government relations firm launched in January 2009. The firm specializes in developing and executing legislative, regulatory, and grassroots strategies, with a primary focus on international trade and tax policy impacting the U.S. textile industry. Before establishing Branson360°, Missy served as Senior Vice President of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), where she led the organization’s government affairs, grassroots, and membership engagement efforts. From 1993 to 2003, Missy held senior roles in the office of U.S. Representative Howard Coble (NC-6), including Chief of Staff and Legislative Director. Missy holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a concentration in African Studies. She also attended the Naval War College in Washington, D.C., where she studied international affairs and geopolitical strategy. AAFA and Cascale U.S. policy member meeting: AAFA and Cascale are hosting a timely virtual update on Wednesday, January 21 to discuss key U.S. policy developments impacting the apparel and footwear sector that will feature the latest in the policy landscape and what members should be watching in the months ahead. The virtual meeting will explore key outcomes from a year of work by the U.S. Policy Member Expert Team (MET), including emerging themes and areas where coordinated engagement can strengthen industry readiness. Registration is available to members of AAFA and members of Cascale. Garment District Alliance Business Development Collective: The Business Development Collaborative is a multi-year program that offers free training, consulting, events and creative services to the diverse ecosystem of Garment District businesses, entrepreneurs and workers. The Garment District Alliance is seeking Program Managers to develop and deliver programming designed to revitalize legacy industries, build a stronger workforce, and boost economic vitality for Cycle 5 of the Business Development Collaborative. The submission deadline is this Thursday, January 15.  Member Welcome: Loeffler Randall   Since Jessie was a little girl, a new pair of shoes has meant a feeling of pure and total joy. It was this feeling, and her desire to share it with others, that inspired her to found Loeffler Randall with her husband, Brian, in their Cobble Hill apartment in 2004. Twenty years later (and counting), we are still family-owned and doing what we love: designing beautiful products that bring joy to our customers. We hope you feel like she did as a little girl when you open up our box. January-February   Jan. 21 | Online: Monthly Member-Only Shipping Roundtable* Jan. 21 | Online: Webinar: The Evolving Challenge of Forced Labor Compliance: Why It's More Important than Ever Jan. 26 | Online: Member-Only Call on Tariffs* Feb. 3 | In-person: Environmental Committee Meeting* Feb. 3-4 | In-person: Product Safety & Compliance Seminar Feb. 5 | In-person: Social Responsibility Committee Meeting* Feb. 11 | Online: Webinar: How Leading Brands Achieve Ethical Sourcing & U.S. Customs Pre-Validation with AI Feb. 18 | Online: Monthly Member-Only Shipping Roundtable* Feb. 18 | Online: Webinar: Making Credible Product Claims through Testing and Standards Feb. 23 | Online: Member-Only Call on Tariffs* Feb. 23 | Online: Webinar: 2026 Global Enforcement Trends with Ana Hinojosa Feb. 25 | Online: Webinar: AI-Powered Responsible Sourcing: From Audits to Action   *Member-only content Global Supply Chain & Trade Conference April 14-15, 2026 | Baltimore, MD Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars, scheduled events, and member/committee calls. Contact Megan Balkovic for 2026 sponsorship opportunities. 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. 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