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Posted by Bob Kirke March 19, 2024

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and the Standards Council of Canada is inviting stakeholders in the textiles and apparel sector to a virtual workshop on March 27th, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT.   The meeting is intended to identify challenges, gaps and opportunities related to chemicals management and sustainability that could benefit from re-thought or new drivers for standardization to support the sector’s environmental performance and competitiveness. The workshop is an opportunity for industry leaders to showcase best …

Posted by Bob Kirke March 15, 2024

The Canadian government has provided updated guidance on the Supply Chains Act (formerly known as Bill S-211). Some of the updates put in writing what was stated during the webinar held in January by Public Safety Canada, or otherwise provide clarification.  Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act  (the Supply Chain Act), came into force on January 1, 2024. It requires certain companies to file reports on their supply chain activities (about measures taken to …

Posted by Bob Kirke March 15, 2024

When North American countries signed the successor to the NAFTA they included a provision for a mandatory review of the agreement six years after the agreement came into force.  The Canada-United States -Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)  must be renewed by July 1, 2026, and while that date is still two years away, CAF is beginning to prepare for this renewal process. (United States Trade Representative, Katherine Tai)   Recently, US officials have warned that there is potential for substantial amendments, underlining …

Posted by Bob Kirke March 14, 2024

Canada has reopened its international export subsidy program, CAN Export, which provides up to $50,000 to Canadian SMEs to suport international business development activities.  All sectors are eligible for grants: the key requirement is that the company exports goods or services to new international markets. The Canadian Apparel Federation in conjunction with Jason Berke of JB Consulting hosted a webinar on the program in 2022. For companies that are not familiar with the program, this short webinar will provide a …

Posted by Bob Kirke March 14, 2024

On the face of it solar panels have very little to do with cotton tee shirts.  One couldn't imagine, in fact, any two products that have less in common.  That being said, they have one thing in common and that is that they often contain raw materials that may be traced to a region in China where there are allegations of systematic forced labour. Over the last two years, the United States has implemented the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act …

Posted by Bob Kirke Feb. 16, 2024

Importers will be aware of a major transition in custom administration, soon to be implemented by CBSA. CARM is a long-standing initiative to update the processing and payment of duties and taxes on imported goods. The project has been plagued by innumerable delays, uneven communication with industry and concerns about the viability of the program.  The Canadian government has indicated that it is moving forward with this program, effective May 13, 2024.     On March 13, 2024 the government …

Posted by Crystel Hillton Feb. 3, 2024

Five new Consumer Product Safety Enforcement Summary Reports are now available on Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety website. Five new Consumer Product Safety Enforcement Summary Reports are now available on Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety website. The report covering textile flammability demonstrates 100% with the regulation based on the verification actions conducted by Health Canada.   Compliance Verification Project 2022-2023: Textile Flammability Regulations (Adult Clothing) - The purpose of this Compliance Verification (CV) project was to verify industry’s compliance of adult …

Jan. 26, 2024

The Canadian Apparel Federation and Circana teamed up to present an update on the Canadian apparel market.  In a 30-minute webinar, Alecsandra Hancas of Circana shared insights from the firm’s research: Planned cuts in spending across eight segments are deepest in restaurants (68%) and apparel (52%) Beauty was an outlier in a soft market, with 19% growth over 12 months to September 2023. Apparel sales were up 4% while footwear declined by 1% over last year. 34% of apparel was purchased online, compared …

Jan. 16, 2024

What does 2024 have in store for retailers, brands, and their manufacturing partners, and how can your supply chain perform its best? ECOMMERCE GROWTH TREND  Online sales growth. Ten percent or greater online sales growth is forecasted for 2024, according to Insider Intelligence/eMarketer. SUPPLY CHAIN CONSIDERATIONS Advanced Omnichannel Merchandise Planning. The best merchandise plans anticipate customer demand at the regional, local and targeted demographic levels. In 2024, it will be a competitive advantage to drill deep into sales data and …

Posted by Apparel Jan. 13, 2024

After more than a decade of efforts by the CAF, Canada has extended the Least Developed Country Tariff (LDCT) for 10 years, beginning Jan. 1, 2025. The regulations implementing the renewed program were released in October. Changes to the rule of origin and modernized customs procedures will take effect in January 2025. The recording from a webinar outlining the changes is available for viewing to CAF and VQ members only.     For further details, contact CAF Executive Director Bob Kirke: bkirke@apparel.ca