Leading US fashion and textile organisations have backed recent comments by president Donald Trump in which he suggested that his stringent tariff policies were “not focused on driving sneaker and T-shirt production to the US”. A joint letter – signed by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), Council of Fashion Designers of America...
2 Jun 2025
US apparel and footwear trade associations have welcomed the US and China’s 90-day pause on heightened tariffs. Yet, while the temporary agreement has somewhat calmed the waters of the two regions’ trade war, organisations are still calling for a long-term deal that will mitigate rising costs and prices. This was reflected in a statement from...
13 May 2025
Steve Lamar, the president and chief executive officer of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), has expressed concern over what he called an “on-again, off-again tariff policy” that he says “is forcing companies to careen between chaos and costs”. While Lamar and the organisation welcomed the current 90-day pause on certain tariffs...
10 Apr 2025
US congressman Greg Murphy, alongside other representatives, has introduced a bipartisan legislation calling for the 10-year extension of the country’s trade programme with Haiti, a bill that leading fashion industry figures are adamantly supporting. The HOPE/HELP trade programmes, which are set to expire in September 2025, intend to help...
28 Feb 2025
“America has spoken,” as said by Steve Lamar, president and chief executive officer of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). Donald Trump is to return to the White House to serve as the 47th US president, while his Republican party has also won control of the Senate. With dozens of races still to be called, meaning power over the...
7 Nov 2024
The US election is continuing to heat up, with voting day now visibly on the horizon. While at the forefront of debates are the policies and outlooks presented by political candidates, there is much behind-the-scenes work by industry representatives that goes well beyond the deadlines of ballot entries. For fashion, the American Apparel &...
20 Sept 2024
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) together with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) have issued a joint letter to Bangladesh’s interim government calling on the improvement of worker rights for the country’s garment, footwear and travel goods industries. In a letter to Mohammad Yunus, chief advisor for the interim government of...
19 Sept 2024
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has welcomed and expressed support for a new bill attempting to extend the currently in place African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is set to expire September 2025. The AGOA Renewal and Improvement Act of 2024, introduced by Senators Chris Coons and James Risch, calls on the original...
15 Apr 2024
American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has called for an end to "the threats and crackdown on garment workers in Bangladesh" in an open letter addressed to the president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA). In recent months, the protesters have been protesting against one of the lowest wages in the world,...
22 Mar 2024
Organisations leading the American fashion industry have outlined their support of California’s proposed Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) in a joint letter. The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the Accessories Council and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) came together to approve the legislation,...
24 Aug 2023
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has announced the renewal of its board of directors, with the addition of 16 new and re-elected board members. Those selected will step into their positions for the 2023-24 term, including that of board leadership. Lululemon’s chief supply chain officer, Ted Dagnese, will take over as chair of...
6 Mar 2023
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has announced a new partnership with the International Apparel Federation (IAF) which sees the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) underlining the commitment to bring industry players together across the supply chain. The renewed agreement will also ensure that the two organisations...
3 Mar 2023