Fast Track Authority, Lessened Regulatory Burdens Key in 2013, AAFA President Says
Aggressive intellectual property protection, reducing regulatory burdens and strengthening the Berry Amendment for domestic manufacturers outfitting U.S. military members are the 2013 priorities for the American Apparel and Footwear Association, CEO Kevin Burke told stakeholders at the group’s annual executive summit. He also encouraged association members to publicly promote the value of trade. “For far too long, trade has been viewed as having a negative impact on our economy; that trade results in job losses … The U.S. apparel and footwear industry is well-positioned to serve as the shining example of an industry that is able to thrive because of imports. Although nearly all of our product is sourced globally, our industry continues to sustain four million U.S. jobs.”
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AAFA will advocate for smaller trade initiatives, including the Affordable Footwear Act -- which would eliminate a tax on most low-cost and children’s footwear -- the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill and the Generalized System of Preferences Update for Production Diversification and Trade Enhancement Act. That legislation that would make U.S. imports of travel goods like luggage and backpacks eligible for duty-benefits under the GSP program, Burke said. On compliance, Burke said his association will “continue its efforts to assist the industry as it explores the traceability of its supply chain to meet a myriad of consumer demands and government regulations.” AAFA will also work to provide more opportunities for domestic sourcing, including using its partnership with Tradegood, a web-based sourcing platform that connects buyers and suppliers.
Burke extolled the opportunities of both the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the EU-U.S. agreement. AAFA participated in the last round of TPP talks in Singapore, and Burke said that major differences between negotiating partners still remain. But the biggest gap, he said, exists “between the U.S. apparel and footwear industry and the U.S. government over the flexible rules of origin required by our 21st century global supply chain.” Without the passage of Trade Promotion Authority, these trade agreements will be “impossible,” Burke said. “Restoring TPA may be the simplest but greatest trade opening initiative since the United States joined the TPP talks in 2008.”