Posts

Oct. 7, 2026

AAFA Publishes Heat Stress Guide and Toolkit for Apparel Supply Chains The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has released two resources to help brands and manufacturers protect workers from extreme heat: the AAFA Guide to Protecting Workers from Heat Stress (April 17, 2026) and a companion Heat Stress Toolkit. Both are relevant to CAF members that source from regions where rising temperatures affect production, compliance, and lead times. Commissioned by AAFA, this toolkit was designed through a collaborative process. …

Jan. 22, 2025

While the political chaos at the federal level has taken precedence over the last few weeks, it's useful to understand what was included in the Dec. 16th Fall Economic Statement (FES), which led to the resignation of the Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and eventually the resignation of Prime Minister Trudeau.   Because  Parliament has been prorogued until March, the Fall Economic Statement (FES) tabled on Dec. 16, 2024, is no longer moving forward.  At the same time, it is useful to …

Dec. 17, 2024

Canadian consumers are seeking premium, authentic Italian products now more than ever, reflecting a broader shift toward quality and sustainability. To meet this demand, Italian manufacturers are embracing cutting-edge technology thanks to the Italian Trade Agency’s TrackIT Blockchain program – a digital business solution ensuring authenticity, traceability, and transparency. “By partnering with an Italian TrackIT Blockchain supplier, Canadian companies can trace a product’s journey from raw materials to purchase, bolstering global trust of the Made in Italy brand and responding to …

Sept. 18, 2024

The Canadian government earlier this year launched a review of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE). CAF submitted comments in October.  Any CAF member firm interested in receiving those comments should contact Bob Kirke (bkirke@apparel.ca) at the Canadian Apparel Federation.  Our comments dealt with the mandate and the operations of the office. Please find below the text of the government communications regarding this review: In January 2024, the Government of Canada committed to undertake a review of the office of the …

Posted by CAF April 18, 2024

Budget 2024 - summary On April 16, 2024, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, presented the government’s budget. The budget was heavily focused on measures to address the ongoing housing crisis. A number of tax measures were introduced, including substantial changes to capital gains and new tax credits (i.e. New Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses). These are outlined in the summaries below: Richter Miller Thomson EY  PWC KPMG Davies Ward Last year’s Budget contained a …

Posted by Bob Kirke March 28, 2024

The European union is moving forward with human rights due diligence legislation and an import prohibition on goods made from forced Labour. Details below. Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D): In 2022, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. (CS3D).  The aim of this Directive is to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour and to anchor human rights and environmental considerations in companies’ operations and corporate governance. The new rules will ensure that businesses …

Posted by Apparel Dec. 19, 2023

The Canadian Apparel Federation and the U.S. Fashion Industry Association hosted a webinar to  explore social responsibility issues in 2023 and look ahead to 2024. Presenter Avedis Seferian of the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) shared his extensive knowledge to look at issues expected to impact responsible sourcing practices in the year ahead, including developments in due diligence legislation.   WRAP is a global social compliance certification program. It works with facilities at the ground level to bolster their compliance …

Posted by Apparel Nov. 23, 2023

The reporting deadline for Canada’s Forced Labour and Child  Labour in Supply Chains Act is May 31, 2024. A webinar with TradeBeyond explored regulatory compliance and responsible sourcing opportunities to be realized through enhanced supply chain transparency.  TradeBeyond discussed practices that will prepare you for the reporting specified in Bill S-211 and other supply chain legislation. To get a link to the recording, contact web@apparel.ca.