American Apparel & Footwear Association,update

 

SUBSCRIBE | ABOUT | EVENTS | ADVERTISE | JOIN March 3, 2026   This week in Washington, AAFA is hosting our Annual Executive Summit and our Board of Directors heads to Capitol Hill. Stay informed on these priorities and more with today’s edition.  CARB Approves California’s Climate Disclosure Regulations Feb. 27: ... SB 253, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, requires companies that do business in California with over $1 billion in revenue to report their greenhouse gas emissions. This year that will include companies’ scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, and companies are expected to report to the state by Aug. 10. SB 261, or the Climate-related Financial Risk Act, requires companies that do business in the state with over $500 million in revenue to disclose climate-related financial risk reports to the state. (Source: ESG Dive) Amid Tariff Chaos, One Principle to Abide By: Don’t Harm Supply Chain Workers Feb. 26: As the Trump administration’s latest tariff machinations throw up even more uncertainty and confusion over access to the world’s largest market, at least one thing should be crystal clear, said Katie Hess, head of product at Cascale’s Better Buying division: financial burdens shouldn’t be pushed down the supply chain in ways that ultimately harm workers. (Source: Sourcing Journal) Rethinking Working Hours in Labor-Intensive Industries Feb. 23: High working hours in labor-intensive industries—particularly footwear and apparel—have been debated for decades and remain one of the most persistent challenges in responsible supply chain management. At the heart of this discussion is Principle 6: Hours of Work, a foundational component of WRAP’s 12 Principles, which collectively define WRAP’s approach to ethical, lawful, and humane workplace conditions. Within the social compliance community, working hours continue to sit at the intersection of international labor standards and the practical realities faced by workers and facilities. (Source: Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) Who Pays the Tariffs? Voters Will Soon Find Out Feb. 27: ... The process and legal fights over paying back import taxes will help shove tariffs back into voters’ minds, as well as provide them an excruciatingly detailed civics lesson in who literally pays the levies. (Hint: it’s not foreign governments.) (Source: POLITICO) Corporate America’s Growing Quest for Tariff Refunds Feb. 24: ... American businesses have remained mostly mum so far, aside from suing for refunds. But trade groups have spoken out: The American Apparel and Footwear Association, [...] called on the Trump administration to provide “clear guidance.” (Source: New York Times) Trump Insists Trade Deals Safe After Supreme Court Ruling Upends Tariff Authority, but Partners Aren’t So Sure Feb. 25: ... The ruling has raised questions about bilateral trade agreements structured around IEEPA tariff rates, prompting foreign governments to reassess their positions. ″[Trading partners] made concessions in exchange for specific tariff treatment that was grounded in IEEPA. That legal basis no longer exists,” said Johannes Fritz, CEO of the St.Gallen Endowment for Prosperity through Trade. (Source: CNBC) Brands are Battling a Surge of AI-Driven Return Fraud March 2: ... Fraudulent returns are nothing new. Online merchants have long dealt with shoppers who falsely claim items arrived damaged or went missing in transit, or who attempt to return clearly worn merchandise. Now, easily accessible AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are making it easier than ever for bad actors to dupe brands, forcing retailers to reconsider how quickly they issue refunds and how much verification they require upfront without deterring legitimate customers. (Source: Modern Retail) Meet the Man Trump Picked to Pursue His War on Fraud at the Justice Department Feb. 25: The morning after President Donald Trump declared a “war on fraud” during his State of the Union address, senior Justice Department prosecutor Colin McDonald told the Senate Judiciary Committee and said he would steadfastly follow the department’s tradition to focus only on the evidence. (Source: CNN) Policy Statement to Incentivize the Use of Age Verification Technologies to Protect Children Online Feb. 25: The Federal Trade Commission issued a policy statement today announcing that the Commission will not bring an enforcement action under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA Rule) against certain website and online service operators that collect, use, and disclose personal information for the sole purpose of determining a user’s age via age verification technologies. (Source: Federal Trade Commission) Members of the AAFA staff and Board of Directors meet with legislators on Capitol Hill today to advocate for #SmartTrade. AAFA's Board on Capitol Hill: AAFA is closely tracking the many questions coming from our industry and is pressing the Administration for clarity, consistency, and transparency. Today, a number of AAFA Board of Directors representatives have been on Capitol Hill with a focused message: Congress must reclaim its constitutional responsibility and advance smart, stable trade policy.  Notorious Markets List released today: Just this afternoon, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published its 2025 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy. Details about our reactions and related IP protection and anticounterfeiting initiatives will be shared soon via the Brand Protection Council. For questions, please reach out to Jennifer Hanks. This week's AAFA Executive Summit: Tomorrow, AAFA kicks off the 2026 AAFA Executive Summit — The Next Moves: Bold Ideas, Smart Futures — bringing together industry leaders for two days of real-time updates and strategy conversations as companies navigate constant policy shifts shaping our industry’s future. The program will conclude with an exclusive closing event at the National Archives Museum. A special thank you to our speakers and sponsors for helping us convene such an outstanding group of leaders in Washington this week.   Can’t join us in D.C.? We’ll be back together April 14–15 in Baltimore with a focused deep dive on supply chains and trade. Be sure to check out our full events calendar for more opportunities to engage. Keeping up on trade developments: On February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-anticipated decision on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), ruling that the IEEPA tariffs were unlawful.   Within hours, the Administration announced a new 10 percent global tariff under Section 122, with public threats to increase it to 15 percent, though no formal documentation has yet been issued. While Section 122 tariffs can remain in effect for up to 150 days, we anticipate additional trade actions may follow during that period.   Yesterday, the USTR released its 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report, reinforcing the Administration’s America First Trade Policy priorities.   As we closely monitor USTR’s actions in 2026, AAFA joined a multi-association letter reaffirming strong support for the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) and urging USTR to renew the agreement for its full 16-year term. This effort further amplifies the support AAFA expressed in our testimony to USTR at the end of 2025.   We strongly encourage all members to join our next Member-Only Tariff Call on Monday, March 16 at Noon ET, and to participate in the AAFA Trade and Customs Committee (TCC). Registration is also open for the next TCC calls on March 10 and April 14. In the meantime, if you are a member with questions, please reach out to Beth Hughes.  Member Welcome: B-Stock B-Stock is the leading B2B recommerce platform and system of record for all resale. B-Stock’s platform offers the premier product suite for B2B resale, allowing brands, retailers, and OEMs to maximize performance, control, and visibility of their inventory while offering a technology-driven replacement for traditional resale methods.   With billions of dollars of resale transaction history, the B-Stock platform provides customers with the data and intelligence to know how to sell their inventory, where to sell it, and at what price. Working with B-Stock will ultimately help improve sales cycles and outcomes for resale inventory while providing confidence in pricing. March-April   March 4-6 | In-Person: AAFA Executive Summit March 16 | Online: Member-Only Call on Tariffs* March 18 | Online: Monthly Member-Only Shipping Roundtable* March 18 | Online: Webinar: Our Circular Future March 23 | Online: Webinar: Mastering Covered Material Categories for EPR Savings March 25 | Online: Webinar: Managing Hazardous Solvents Across Textile Supply Chains March 30 | Online: Webinar: Driving Credibility Through Certification: Trends Reshaping the Textile Industry April 1 | Online: Webinar: The Contract-to-Cash Playbook: Reducing Freight Cost Leakage April 6 | Online: Member-Only Call on Tariffs* April 14-15 | In-Person: Global Supply Chain & Trade Conference April 21 | In-Person: AAFA 50th American Image Awards April 22 | Online: Monthly Member-Only Shipping Roundtable* April 27 | Online: Webinar: Sustainability Claims & Biobased Verification   *Member-only content We're rolling out the gold carpet for the 50th American Image Awards, April 21 in NYC! Visit our events calendar for all AAFA webinars, scheduled events, and member/committee calls. Sponsorships for 2026 are sold out. Plan early for 2027 and contact Megan Balkovic to discuss your preferred events and programs for next year. 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 © 2026 American Apparel & Footwear Association