in this issue (april 2015) sponsored...
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In This Issue (April 2015)FDRA Factory Innovation Summit
2015 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign TradeBarriers
Sourcing Innovation in Focus
Total Footwear Import Data
Athletic Footwear Import Data
China, Vietnam pledge peaceful resolution for South ChinaSea dispute
Footwear Trade Update
Footwear Commodities Report
BFA and FDRA Form Historic Footwear Alliance
LA, Long Beach Container Volume Roars Back
Pulse of the Ports
West Coast Trade Symposium - Date Announced!
Please Urge Your Factories to Attend-FDRA's Factory Innovation Summit
Sponsored by
REGISTER NOW FOR EARLY BIRD
RATES
Footwear Sourcing &Compliance Summit
July 22nd-23rd in New York City!
This two day summit
will cover factorycompliance, supplychain issues and
sourcing challenges,
FDRA's Factory Enhancement & Innovation Summit willbe held in Dongguan on June 16th, 2015, and Xiamen onJune 18th, 2015. Please encourage your factories toattend. This new footwear factory summit is focused on helpingfactories understand how new technologies and innovations canhelp them improve quality and efficiency while lowering costs. We will also be covering product safety and compliance issuesto keep your factories up-to-date.
Below are the information and registration pages for theseevents. We want to make sure your factories are well trainedand will provide a BOGO code you can give your factoriesto encourage them to send as many people as possible. Just email Andy to get the code.
Click here for more information about Dongguan(Chinese & English)
Click here for more information about Xiamen (Chinese &English).
2015 National Trade Estimate Report on ForeignTrade Barriers
The U.S. Office of the Trade Representative (USTR) recentlyreleased the 2015 National Trade Estimate Report on ForeignTrade Barriers.
Politico reports: As the 2015 National Trade Estimate Reportreveals, the Obama Administration is working around the clockto fight unwarranted barriers to our exports around the world,and we've racked-up significant accomplishments in protectingthe benefits that trade delivers for the American people," U.S.Trade Representative Michael Froman said in the statement.The 430-page report looks at trade barriers in the UnitedStates' largest export markets, including the European Union,Taiwan and Hong Kong and the Arab League and 58 othercountries. It was created by Congress with the goal ofestimating the impact of various foreign trade barriers on U.S.exports. However, the report is mainly a description of policiesthat impede trade with few estimates of the actual economicimpact.
The full report is available here.
Sourcing Innovation in Focus
We encourage you to join us at the footwear innovation summiton May 7th - John Burch, Senior Vice President of GlobalOperations at Wolverine Worldwide, will be talking about howinnovation is changing how we design and produce footwear in
opportunities andstrategies from leadingfootwear executives. Like last year we will
profile several country'sproduction, capacity,infrastructure, supply
chains, as well aspolitical, social andeconomic issues.
Sign up todayfor the early
bird rate!
the 21st century.
Those who attend will come away with anew way to look at sourcing and production.
Learn more here.
Footwear Import Data
With the government recently reporting newdata, FDRA has produced its monthly FootwearImport Data Report.
You can access the February 2015 datahere.
If you don't know your user name and password, please email KaitlinNygren.
Athletic Footwear Import Data
FDRA is now producing a report on athleticfootwear imports into the US!
You can access the February 2015 athleticfootwear data here.
If you don't know your user name and password,please email Kaitlin Nygren.
China, Vietnam pledge peaceful resolution forSouth China Sea dispute April 8th - Reuters: China and Vietnam have pledged to look fora peaceful resolution to their dispute in the South China Sea viatalks, following a meeting between China's president and thehead of Vietnam's Communist Party,state news agency Xinhua said onWednesday.
A joint communique carried by Xinhuasaid that both countries had a "candid"exchange of views on their maritimespat. But the two countries agreed to"use well the Sino-Vietnam government border negotiationmechanism, uphold friendly consultations and negotiations tolook for a basic and lasting resolution both countries canaccept", the statement said.
China and Vietnam should also "proactively look for transitionalresolution methods which do not affect either side's position,including looking at and discussing joint development".
Read the full Article here.
FDRA Analysis
The recent discussions and agreement by the heads of Vietnamand China's communist parties is a positive step to preventingfurther factory protests over maritime disputes like those wesaw in Spring 2014. The riots and protests that broke out lastyear occurred in part because the Vietnamese Government hadpublicly accused China of sovereignty violations, creating rapidsocial protest movements across the country. With Vietnam'scommunist leader working with China to create a betterframework of trust on these issues, it is clear the government isnot intent on fanning the flames of any new disputes in thenear term.
In looking ahead, we anticipate tension in the region will shiftfrom Vietnam to the Philippines. Over the past several monthsChina has essentially garrisoned several islands in parts of theSouth China Sea that are also claimed by the Philippines. Whilefootwear production for U.S. consumers in the Philippines isalmost non-existent, these new moves by China, and the factthe the Philippines is increasing its defense spending, meansthe footwear supply chain in Asia could be impacted if the twocountries move beyond inflammatory words to naval action.
Last week was a huge week for footwear trade issues. Ifyou missed our special update, please click here to view
the footwear & politics newsletter.
Footwear Commodities Report
This report provides detailed costsanalysis for footwear inputs andother costs impacting the footwearsupply chain to help companiesbetter track costs.
Click here to access the March Commodities Report.
If you don't know your user name and password, please email Kaitlin
Nygren.
BFA and FDRA Form Historic Trans-AtlanticFootwear Alliance
The British Footwear Association (BFA) and the FootwearDistributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) announced theestablishment of a strategic partnership designed to enhancethe cooperation of footwear companies in the U.S. and in theU.K. As part of the partnership, the two associations will sharemarketplace data and regulatory and customs insights keepingglobal footwear companies better informed. They are alsocurrently working on ways they can combine efforts to enhancesocial compliance at footwear factories around the globe. "FDRA makes every effort to collaborate with footwearassociations across the globe," said FDRA President MattPriest. "The benefits of a strategic partnership with John andthe BFA team are self-evident, footwear customs, productsafety, and compliance rules are changing around the world andtogether we can better help our respective members..."
Read the full story.
From JOC.com - LA, Long Beach ContainerVolumes Roar BackContainer volumes at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beachcame roaring back in March, with the largest U.S. port complexreporting a 24 percent increase in container traffic compared toMarch 2014. Los Angeles reported a total container volume of 791,864 20-foot container units in March, and Long Beach's total containervolume was 630,084 TEUs. Total container volume movingthrough the Southern California port complex was 1,421,948TEUs. The total volume includes loaded import containers,loaded export containers and empties. Loaded import containers moving through Los Angeles-LongBeach in March were up 36 percent over March 2014. Loadedexport containers were down 21 percent, reflecting thecontinued downward pressure on U.S. exports due to the strongdollar and weak economic performance among major tradingpartners such as China, Japan and the European Union. The ports indicated that their performances in March werestellar by any measurement. March was the second busiestmonth ever in Los Angeles, second only to October 2006, which
was the peak year for container volume before the U.S.economic recession. Long Beach reported that this was thebusiest March ever in the port's history. Despite the huge cargo gains in March, both ports are still downyear-to-date due to the severe congestion resulting from labordisruptions in the coast-wide contract negotiations between theInternational Longshore and Warehouse Union and the PacificMaritime Association. Los Angeles' container volume in the firstquarter is down 5 percent compared to the same period in2014, and Long Beach is down 3.3 percent.
Read the full article at JOC.com.
JOC.com is pleased to offer members of the FDRA an exclusivediscount off an annual subscription. Subscribe today
to JOC.com using promotional code FDRAJOC and SAVE 25% on an annual subscription.
Pulse of the Ports The Port of Long Beachsponsors this event inSouthern California todiscuss whether or notthe supply chain isready for this year'speak shipping season.
This half-day event will be held on Wednesday, April 29th, from7-10 a.m. in Long Beach.
For a list of panelist bios, please click here.
The event will also be webcast live:www.polb.com/pulseports
West Coast Trade Symposium - Date Announced! U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that theWest Coast Trade Symposium will be held on May 27, 2015, inWashington State.
Further information regardingsymposium details and onlineregistration will be available soon. Foradditional information, contact the CBPOffice of Trade Relations [email protected].
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