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CSC, Fortna Inc.,GT Nexus, Gerber Technology, Innov-X, Intertek Consumer Goods North America, Jockey Int’l., Jones Apparel Group, MicroPak Ltd, New Generation Computing, SAP, SGS U.S. Testing Company, Siemens, Siriani & Associates, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and TradeCard Inc. 
AAFA RELEASES FIRST QUARTER (MARCH EDITION) LEGISLATIVE UPDATE A March edition of the first quarter AAFA legislative update can be downloaded by clicking here. (Steve Lamar)
AAFA LEADS INDUSTRY EFFORT TO SUPPORT CPSC PETITION ON TESTING LEAD COATINGS AAFA and 16 other trade associations submitted joint comments February 26 urging the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to approve recommendations that had been submitted earlier in a joint petition by AAFA and Intertek regarding a series of test methods to determine if there is lead in coatings. The petition advocates for the use of spray sampling, multiple stamping and finished component testing to provide flexibility and lower testing costs for manufacturers. The CPSC is considering this petition, and the February 26 comments, as it develops final regulations regarding testing. The CPSC has already signaled it is moving in the direction of the petition when the CPSC issued its interim enforcement policy at the end of last year. If accepted, the recommendations in the petition and the comments would authorize these testing procedures in formal regulations. (Rebecca Mond) LEAHY AND SESSIONS COME TO AGREEMENT ON PATENT LEGISLATION Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced February 25 an agreement in principle with Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-AL) on patent reform legislation. Leahy said the committee will release details this week in consultation with the House. A key issue has been post-grant review, where one party appeals a patent decision. Leahy said improving patent quality, overhauling the Patent Trade Office and addressing damage awards have been the focus of talks. (Kurt Courtney) SENATE PASSES JOBS LEGISLATION The Senate passed its version of jobs legislation on February 22, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act (HR 2847). The $15 billion package provides a Social Security tax break to businesses on all newly hired employees. Among several provisions aimed at boosting infrastructure improvements, the legislation also allows small businesses to write off large equipment purchases immediately. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), under criticism for not using the bill to extend various tax provisions that expired last year, has said that HR 2847 is simply the first of several job-related measures that he hopes to pass this year, which will include these tax extenders. (Kurt Courtney)
DOL REQUESTS COMMENTS ON UPDATES TO CHILD/FORCED LABOR LIST The US Department of Labor's (DOL) Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) requests input on updates to its September 2009 list of countries/products that use child and/or forced labor. The notice also requests input on DOL's September 2009 proposed revision of the Executive Order list of products/countries that use forced labor. As explained in the notice, this list is in response to an executive order issued by former President Bill Clinton that requires contractors supplying any of the products on the list to the US government to certify that forced labor was not used in the production of that product. Finally, the notice requests input on a report DOL must submit to Congress on the use of exploitive child labor in countries that are beneficiaries of U.S. trade preference programs or U.S. free trade agreements. The notice does NOT say why DOL chose now to update the child/forced labor lists or when a revised list will be published. The notice also clearly states that DOL will use the same procedures in determining revisions to the current list that it used to create its original September 2009 list, procedures which continue to raise serious concerns for AAFA and others. The September 2009 child/forced labor list includes allegations that the footwear and apparel industries in dozens of countries utilize child and/or forced labor. Comments are due April 9. (Nate Herman) SENATORS URGE US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO CONSIDER CURRENCY MANIPULATION IN CHINA ANTI-SUBSIDY (CVD) CASES A bi-partisan group of 15 Senators sent a letter February 25 to Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke demanding that the US Department of Commerce consider currency manipulation in countervailing duty (CVD) cases against US imports from China. In CVD cases, US manufacturers allege that US imports of products from certain countries, in this case China, are being sold unfairly in the US market because the producers of those imports receive significant subsidies. The Senators allege that China manipulates its currency. That currency manipulation, the Senators argue, should be considered a subsidy. (Nate Herman) AAFA JOINS WITH BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN THANKING PORT OF SEATTLE FOR STANDING FIRM ON CLEAN TRUCKS ISSUE AAFA joined several other business groups in sending a letter February 25 to Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani thanking the Port of Seattle for their continued opposition to efforts to rewrite federal laws that govern the trucking industry. Last year, some ports and unions began a campaign to amend a provision codified under the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (F4A) in order to give local governments and ports the ability to regulate the trucking industry. While some ports claim this change is needed to enable them to better mitigate environmental concerns, recent studies have shown that the clean truck programs that have been in effect for more than two years have already made significant progress in minimizing pollution from older trucks in and around the ports. (Kurt Courtney) NEW DEMS - TRADE IS KEY FOR JOB GROWTH The New Democratic Leadership Council, the think tank of the New Democrats, issued its second report in late February on the best strategies to achieve job growth. The report makes several recommendations to promote job growth, including ratifying the remaining proposed free trade agreements, concluding the Doha Round of global trade negotiations, putting a lid on US government spending and eliminating Waste by granting the President "Reform Authority." The DLC released its first jobs growth report in early February. (Nate Herman) AAFA SUPPORTS COORDINATED APPROACH TO TRADE, AID AND INVESTMENT TO HELP AFRICA AAFA joined with dozens of international development non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business organizations and companies in submitting a white paper February 24 to Congress and the Obama administration outlining what is needed to ensure the sustainable and long-term economic development of Africa. The main thrust of the paper is that the US government must coordinate trade, aid and investment policies towards Africa and take a region-wide approach in order to achieve sustainable, long-term economic development for the entire continent of Africa. (Rebecca Mond) WTO - WORLD TRADE IN 2009 REGISTERS SHARPEST DECLINE SINCE WORLD WAR II World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy announced in a February 24 speech that "World trade has also been a casualty of this crisis, contracting in volume terms by around 12 per cent in 2009 — the sharpest decline since the end of the Second World War." (Nate Herman)
AAFA WELCOMES NEW MEMBER: PARIGI GROUP LTD SUMMIT SPOTLIGHT: CSC: Annual Executive Summit Platinum Sponsor  120 of the world's best-known fashion brands depend on STEALTH 3000, CSC's powerful, web-enabled, enterprise-class, ERP application designed exclusively for fashion, apparel and footwear. (Susan Lapetina)
RFID STARTS HERE: THE BENEFITS OF RFID IN RETAIL VIDEO The AAFA participated in a video produced by Motorola focusing on the benefits of RFID at Item for apparel retail. Specialty retailer American Apparel was featured with input from several industry stakeholders in the RFID space which included Avery Dennison, Microsoft, RFID Journal and the University of Arkansas. Benefits sited include improved inventory accuracy, increase in sales, better margins, improved inventory accuracy, rapid replenishment of goods and reduction in labor costs. Click here to view the video. (Mary Howell)
EPA Lays Out Timetable for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from The Washington Post Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson laid out the timetable for regulating greenhouse gas emissions, writing in a letter to lawmakers that she plans to start targeting large facilities such as power plants next year but won't target small emitters before 2016. More Reconciliation Showdown Ahead on Health Care? from CNN With the health care summit showing no sign of getting either side to budge, lawmakers are staking out positions in the battle many believe is imminent: a presidential effort to push legislation through without Republican support. More Despite Protectionism, ASEAN Eyes Single Market from The Associated Press via Google Southeast Asian nations said they are still aiming to set up a European Union-style economic community by 2015 despite concerns that the global slump has led to a rise in trade protectionism. More U.S. Envoys to Visit China Despite Tensions from The Global Times U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg will visit China this week, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Steinberg and Jeffrey Bader, senior director for Asian affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, will be in Beijing in order to "exchange opinions with the Chinese side over matters related to Sino-U.S. relations," spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement. More Single Vote Holds up Senate Jobs Bill from The Detroit Free Press The Senate left town Friday without passing legislation to extend jobless benefits or payments for unemployed workers' insurance under the COBRA program, the measure being held up by a single vote - Kentucky Republican Jim Bunning. More |
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