The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) recently said it does not believe the application of the Section 301 tariffs to remedy China’s ‘harmful’ trade practices and policies has been an effective tool.

In a letter to Philip Butler, chair of the Section 301 Committee of the Office of the US Trade Representative, Beth Hughes, AAFA vice president for trade and customs policy, said the association

US trade body AAFA recently said it does not believe the application of the Section 301 tariffs to remedy China’s ‘harmful’ trade practices and policies has been an effective tool.
It recommended the US administration to determine if any of the exclusions listed should qualify for permanent or more-longer term exclusion periods to give US companies more predictability.

strongly supports the extension of the current China 301 exclusions, which are set to expire on November 29 this year, and recommended the US administration to determine if any of the exclusions listed should qualify for permanent or more-longer term exclusion periods to give US companies more predictability.

Close to 97 per cent of apparel, footwear and related goods sold in the United States today

are imported. Yet the United States maintains high duties on these products—some of the highest levied on any product—adversely affecting US consumers who ultimately pay those duties in the form of higher prices, the letter noted.

“Although the average trade weighted tariff rate imposed on all products was approximately 2.35 per cent in 2024, the average trade weighted tariff rate in 2024 on knit apparel was 14.90 per cent, woven apparel 14.29 per cent, footwear 12.25 per cent, home textiles 8.70 per cent, and 13.85 per cent on travel goods.1 Moreover, the amount of tariffs collected on imports of US apparel, footwear, textiles, and travel goods in 2024 exceed $18.3 billion,” the letter said.

This burden falls disproportionately on products imported by the sector, even though many of these products are no longer made in commercial quantities in the United States, AAFA observed.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

Epson, a leading enterprise in professional printing, will showcase its latest innovations in textile and large format printing at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025, the region’s leading textile technology exhibition.

Held at Singapore Expo Hall 6, from 10am–6pm on 28–31 October, Epson will showcase the SureColor G6030, its first Direct-to-Film (DTFilm) printer, and the SureColor F9530H, its latest advanced dye-sublimation printer, alongside a comprehensive range of solutions designed to empower both industrial producers and small businesses in the growing personalised goods market.

Epson will spotlight its latest digital textile and large-format printing innovations at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025, including its first Direct-to-Film printer and new dye-sublimation models.
The showcase highlights efficiency, versatility, and sustainability, empowering both small businesses and industrial producers in the personalised goods market.

Driving efficiencies and new opportunities in textile printing

Engineered to meet the evolving needs of the wearable print market, the SureColor G6030 printer features a 1.6L ink capacity, minimal maintenance requirements and versatility across applications, including care labels, small T-shirt logos, novelty tote bags and rigid substrates. Live demonstrations will highlight its vivid, full-colour output with consistent film quality, ideal for rapid-turnaround customisation.

Complementing this, the SureColor F9530H dye-sublimation printer enhances productivity and meets commercial garment production standards while lowering operational downtime. With advanced printhead technology, expanded colour options, faster speeds and improved image sharpness, its target applications include jerseys, sportswear and soft signage.

Epson will also showcase:

• Hybrid Direct-to-Garment (DTG) machines: SureColor F3030, SureColor F2230 and SureColor F1030 for T-shirt, tote bag and hybrid cut-sheet printing.
• Dye-sublimation printers including the SureColor F6430H and SureColor F11030 for jerseys, sportswear and novelty goods like mugs and tote bags, as well as long-run textile production.

Visitors can register for guided solution walkthroughs led by Epson’s team to explore integrated workflows and application case studies.

Witness Epson’s solutions in action

The Digital Lab Experience will demonstrate how aspiring entrepreneurs can launch personalised goods businesses with low start-up costs by leveraging Epson’s reliable print technology. As part of this, attendees can see Epson’s storefront customisation package in action, featuring:

• Epson Craft Studio: An all-in-one software suite that streamlines design, production and order management to power your personalised item business
• SureColor F1030 and SureColor F2230 printers for direct-to-garment output
• SureLab D1030 Professional Minilab Printer for high-resolution direct-to-object printing.

“With rising demand for customised textile products, Epson is committed to providing solutions that deliver quality, efficiency and scalability for customers of all sizes, from small business ventures to industrial production,” said [spokesperson]. “Our presence at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 underscores not just our technical innovation, but also our dedication to sustainable printing methods for the future of the industry.”

Event Details and Registration

ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 runs from 28–31 October at Singapore Expo Hall 6. Epson’s booth is located at H6-C402. Guided solution walkthroughs are available by registration here, with limited spots on each exhibition day.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (MS)

AllSaints seems to be on a roll and shortly after announcing a new creative director and a raft of new stores, the company (which also owns John Varvatos) has now turned in record profits.

Despite the tough backdrop, the year to 1 February saw EBITDA rising 1% to £69.5 million, “reflecting the benefit of margin improvement initiatives”.

So let’s look at the details. Like another UK business that reported on the same day (The Very Group), the company achieved higher earnings despite turnover declining as it focused on profitable sales.

Total group revenue dropped 4% to £441.3 million, “following a deliberate reduction in promotional and markdown activity, designed to improve the quality of sales”.

AllSaints revenue was down 5% to £372.4 million while John Varvatos was up 4% to £68.9 million.

The gross profit margin increased to 65.2% from 63%, even though sales this time included a higher wholesale mix, which is typically lower-margin.

The company said the year was marked by “shorter markdown periods in retail, earlier seasonal launches extending full-price selling, and effective inventory management throughout the year”.

Key numbers included the aforementioned pre-operating exceptional EBITDA up 1% to £69.5 million, plus profit before tax up 55% to £28.2 million and profit after tax up an astonishing 93% to £18.9 million.

The year included the launch of a range of “successful and innovative products”, such as ‘smAIISaints’ childrenswear, a new AllSaints fragrance collection and men’s tailoring and underwear collections — as well as an optical eyewear range, following the successful launch of sunglasses in 2023.

It also opened a new third party-operated European distribution centre in the Netherlands, which has “supported strong growth across Europe with both new and existing concession and wholesale partners”.

And it continued to invest in new stores such as its first AllSaints new concept store in Manchester Trafford centre that saw “positive feedback from customers”. Other new stores during the year included London Bridge station, Glasgow’s Silverburn and Princes Square malls, Belmont Park Village in New York and Metzingen in Germany, as well as a new John Varvatos store also in Belmont Park Village.

The year saw a new creative director for John Varvatos too with Karl Aberg having started with the SS25 collection.

Much more recently, Aaron Esh was appointed creative director of AllSaints itself and it has opened new stores in Shenzhen, China, Atlanta in the US, and in the UK at St Pancras International and Bristol Cribbs Causeway. This autumn will also see further openings. And John Varvatos has opened a new flagship store in SoHo, New York.

CEO Peter Wood said: “Huge credit is due to our teams around the world. While our group revenue reflects our decision to reduce markdown activity to improve the quality of our sales, we’re pleased that a number of areas across the business continued to deliver strong top-line growth.

“Revenues at John Varvatos rose, helping to deliver its best-ever profit performance since we acquired it in 2021 — a testament to the strength of this fantastic modern American luxury brand. Wholesale also delivered strong growth, supported by partner expansion and our new EU distribution centre, making continental Europe our fastest-growing market.

“Despite the challenging global environment affecting all businesses over the past year, our continued investment in our talent, as well as in product, marketing and distribution, means we are reaching more customers than ever before. There remain plenty of exciting growth opportunities for both AllSaints and John Varvatos.”