8th March 2017
What’s the Chinese for hogwash?
“China must be ready to face [the] growing trend of protectionism” said its Premier Li Keqiang on March 5. Well, he should know. Time after time, whichever political parties have...
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3rd February 2017
High-minded idealism is confusing buyers as much as the new nationalism
Seemingly endless January trade-related government announcements in the US and UK lacked a single detail businesses could use for planning. So did other government plans just as potentially disruptive to...
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15th January 2017
Trump abandons China “currency manipulation” promise
Donald Trump announced on January 14 his abandonment of a central campaign pledge about China. On October 22, he promised that on his first day in office he would instruct...
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11th January 2017
Chinese apparel making costs duck national trend as US prices tumble
Though the world’s business press reported in mid-January that Chinese manufacturing costs grew sharply in December 2016, costs for Chinese apparel and textile makers grew far less. In November 2016...
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11th January 2017
Has China burst its own trading bubble?
After years of misconceived forecasts it will soon collapse, China’s domination of global apparel exports faces a serious threat – from the Chinese government. Since about 2010, China’s apparel makers...
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20th December 2016
The so-far obscure US tax proposal threatening all American apparel importers.
It’s a safe bet that few readers have paid much attention to the idea of “destination-based” profit taxes. They need to start doing so: right now. Till now, an idea...
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20th December 2016
China-Korea trade collapses after a year’s “free trading”
Korean exports to China fell 10.9% in the first year of a free trade deal between the two countries. Chinese exports to Korea fell just 4.8%. The graph prepared from...
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6th December 2016
How uncertain are the uncertainties facing apparel sourcing?
I think many of the alleged uncertainties observers forecast for 2017 are badly misconceived. At this time of the year, observers typically start pontificating about the challenges facing businesses in...
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25th November 2016
Can US apparel importers expect sudden price rises – or a trade war?
How seriously should brands and retailers take reports that Trump will slap extra duties on Chinese imports – and China’s almost hysterical response to those reports? I think they create...
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