Posts

July 21, 2026

TRADE & TARIFF ALERT U.S. Set to impose 50% Tariff on Canadian Apparel and Textiles, among other products — Effective August 19, 2026 New Section 338 duties capture clothing and textile goods, with no exemption for CUSMA-compliant products. Canadian apparel and textiles are now directly in scope of proposed U.S. tariffs. Under a proclamation signed by the President on July 20, 2026, the United States intends to apply an additional 50% duty to a broad range of Canadian-origin goods — …

May 8, 2026

G7 Trade Ministers met in Paris on May 5–6, 2026,  to discuss pressures on global trade, supply chain resilience, and fair competition. Their joint communiqué covered a wide range of issues, including low-value e-commerce shipments. Sections 13 and 14 of the communiqué address the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce in small parcels — the policy area that encompasses de minimis thresholds. Ministers noted the rapid growth of cross-border trade in small parcels through e-commerce and the increasing challenges it raises, …

April 5, 2026

CAF Executive Director Bob Kirke will discuss the status of the renewal of CUSMA/USMCA at PV Montréal The session will be held on April 21, 2026, in the Main Conference Room. Mr. Kirke will highlight how tariffs on "Made in Canada" products threaten apparel manufacturing employment in Canada.  The session is part of PV Montréal, supported by key local, regional, and national authorities, including Tourisme Montréal and Montreal Fashion Week, and created in partnership with mmode. PV Montréal event listing here. …

Feb. 25, 2026

    In the fallout from the February 20 U.S. Supreme Court decision, which overturned many tariff actions instituted by the Trump administration, some Canadian exporters had hoped that the ruling might restore the de minimis customs exemption. Following the decision, President Trump issued an Executive Order:   CONTINUING THE SUSPENSION OF DUTY-FREE DE MINIMIS TREATMENT FOR ALL COUNTRIES That Executive Order makes clear that de minimis remains suspended.  There is little or no support in Congress for any change. The …

Sept. 10, 2025

The United States has initiated major changes to tariff policies in place for most of the last 50 Years. New, exceedingly high tariffs are placing huge stress on the global apparel supply chain. How does this impact the industry in Canada, the U.S. & major sourcing countries?  These topics will be the subject of a panel discussion at ATSC in Toronto. Global Tariffs and Trade in Flux: The consequences of new trade policies - perspectives from suppliers and importers will be held …

Aug. 25, 2025

On August 22, 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will eliminate all retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods covered under the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), effective September 1, 2025. This action will remove the 25% retaliatory tariff currently in place covering apparel made in the US and exported to Canada, provided they are USMCA/CUSMA-compliant. The tariffs likely had minimal impact:  US government stats show US exports of apparel to Canada are down 5% to the end of June. Retaliatory tariffs …

Aug. 21, 2025

Over the last few weeks, as the significance of the end of the de minimis program took hold, CAF began planning a webinar to explain in simple terms how companies (especially those that have developed e-commerce sales in the US supported by the de minimis exemption) can use the provisions of CUSMA to export apparel and textile products to the United States. Despite the fact that de minimis program has been a political football in the US for several years, …

Aug. 5, 2025

In what has now become a familiar pattern, on July 31, 2025, markets throughout the world were once again disrupted by wide-ranging actions on tariffs instituted by the US administration.  Once the dust had settled on last week’s announcements, various countries and industries could take stock of their position (and others are still looking to “sweeten the deal”) before these tariffs take effect on August 7, 2025.   For companies exporting Canadian-made apparel to US, little has changed in terms of …

June 9, 2025

On June 4, 2025, CAF hosted a very informative webinar featuring supply chain technology suppliers: Supply Trace and ImportYeti. These platforms offer invaluable insights into supply chain dynamics, enabling companies to identify risks (forced labour etc.), discover reliable suppliers, and make informed sourcing decisions.  The webinar was a free-flowing discussion and a great demonstration of the two platforms.  The recording of the webinar is hosted in the CAF Webinar archive.  This is the first of a planned series of supply …

April 29, 2025

On April 22 and 23, 2025, Première Vision Montréal made its Canadian debut at the Grand Quai du Port de Montréal, drawing nearly 2,150 professionals and students from across the fashion and textile sectors. With over 100 domestic and international exhibitors and 24 expert-led conferences, the event proved to be a major success, highlighting Montréal’s growing role as a hub for creative and industrial innovation. Organized in partnership with the mmode Cluster and supported by Tourisme Montréal and the Ministry …