8th March 2017

“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...

17th November 2016

Theresa May keeps insisting “Brexit means Brexit”. But no-one in Britain can agree what Brexit means, how long it’ll take to get there or what Britain’s trade policy will be...

13th November 2016

The developed world depends almost entirely on imports from poorer countries for its clothing. The world's biggest apparel importer looks certain to transform its attitude to importing that apparel Since...

12th November 2016

On October 22, Donald Trump published his work programme for the first hundred days of his Presidency. So far as this industry is concerned, that programme – reproduced, slightly abbreviated,...

9th November 2016

Practically every observer thought Hillary Clinton would win the US Presidential election this morning. Most went on to predict her mild hostility to further trade liberalisation meant the short-term prospects...

23rd February 2015

There are times advocates of free trade need to think before opening their mouths - or uploading their blogs. An apparently praiseworthy article in the Pakistani press about access to...

10th January 2015

Mexico published full details in early January of its restrictions on importing textiles and apparel Importers of textile and apparel products of HS Chapters 50 through 63 will be required...

17th October 2014

Trade lobbyists really have to get a sense of proportion. This week’s posturing by trade lobbies about trade facilitation suggests they wouldn’t recognise one if it turned up on their...

13th December 2013

We’ve had 20 years of global agreements like the Bali Package offering to revolutionise the textile and garment industries. They all did – but never as experts predicted. Public reception...

4th June 2013

Pressure groups in the US proposed thebeginning of free trade talks with China almost the same day an EU committee debated its strategy for closer trade ties.No real-world politician gave...

22nd May 2013

It’s dismally common to find government minsters displaying spectacular ignorance of subjects they represent their country about. But that’s often because they’ve got elections to win, and find themselves switched...

10th May 2013

Two similar consortia on either side of the Atlantic have published more studies trying to convince someone that garment imports support substantial numbers of rich-country jobs. Readers of this newsletter...