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Business of Fashion
11 hours ago
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Fashion's Suppliers Want More Say on Climate Action
Fashion's manufacturing base wants a bigger say in the industry's sustainability efforts. Much of the sector's environmental footprint takes place deep in supply chains, where textiles are washed and dyed in energy-, water- and chemically intensive processes. But the industry's plethora of sustainability-focused initiatives are largely driven by brand demands. That's led to criticism that those with the most skin in the game have been excluded from conversations about how to bring about change. 'We are dealing with disparate demands from different brands asking for different things. Nobody wants to pay for it,' said Miran Ali, a Bangladesh-based manufacturer who has helped launch a new initiative geared towards giving manufacturers a bigger voice in fashion's climate conversations. At present, brands 'just make a statement and then expect us to pay the bill for it, or my workers to pay the bill, which is even worse,' Ali said. The Apparel and Textile Transformation Initiative aims to address this imbalance. The manufacturer-led programme launched on Thursday in London under the leadership of trade groups the International Apparel Federation and International Textile Manufacturers' Association. 'ATTI has been designed to strengthen manufacturers' leadership and accelerate environmental transformation and sustainability across the apparel and textile sectors,' said Matthijs Crietee, Secretary General of IAF. 'In an era in which industry faces unprecedented challenges, ATTI is a source of great optimism.' The initiative will be formed of country chapters, led by national industry associations, who will be responsible for developing plans to modernise and drive sustainable transformation at a local level in consultation with brands, financial institutions, civil society and policymakers. Pilot chapters have already launched in Bangladesh and Turkey, with more countries expected to join in the coming months. Learn more: Where Is the Money to Make Fashion More Sustainable? Decarbonising the industry is expected to take $1 trillion over the coming decades. Where that money will come from and how it's distributed remain open questions.
Fibre2Fashion
21-04-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Tariff uncertainty threatens global apparel industry: IAF
The International Apparel Federation (IAF) represents the apparel manufacturing community across more than 40 countries—a global industry comprising hundreds of thousands of companies and millions of employees. Apparel and textiles are among the most globalized industries, historically foundational to industrial development around the world. The punitive tariffs introduced by the US administration on April 2nd, with the highest rates reserved for countries heavily reliant on garment exports to the U.S., represent a direct and unprovoked threat to entire industries. These measures risk destabilizing economies and jeopardizing the livelihoods of countless employees and entrepreneurs in the apparel industry globally, including in the U.S. itself. IAF has warned against the damaging impact of US punitive tariffs on global apparel supply chains, especially affecting China. While welcoming a partial pause, IAF has stressed that tariff uncertainty continues to destabilise the industry, discourage investment, and threaten livelihoods. It has called for collaborative, sustainable supply chain strategies and urges brands to honour commitments. The IAF welcomes the decision to pause a significant portion of these punishing tariffs. However, the continued application of punitive tariffs on imports from China—one of the world's largest apparel exporters—remains deeply concerning and underscores the real and ongoing risk of tariff escalation for other nations. We implore that future trade negotiations have reasonable goals and that punishingly high tariffs on apparel do not return. Many apparel-exporting countries lack the domestic purchasing power to significantly boost imports from the U.S., making it unrealistic and unreasonable to demand steep trade balance corrections. Likewise, high tariffs will not realistically result in the large-scale return of apparel production to the U.S. For IAF members, what has not been paused is the harm inflicted by the creation of a climate of tariff uncertainty (and, in the case of China a punitive reality). With global supply chains still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Sea crisis, and weakened consumer confidence, the unpredictability of trade policy discourages investment and further undermines market stability and consumer confidence. Preventing the return of these harmful tariffs must be a top priority—followed by restoring a stable, predictable trade environment. Only then can we begin the critical work of re-evaluating global supply chains. To be clear, no supply chain resilience strategy can withstand a tariff tornado of this scale. Nevertheless, going forward, our industry must reduce its vulnerability to sudden policy shifts. This requires expanding the foundation of competitiveness beyond cost alone. The IAF advocates for stronger, smarter, and more sustainable supply chains—anchored more in long-term partnerships, business sense, and mutual interdependence and less dependant on trade political decisions. This has been the IAF's core message in all of its publications and events for the past decade. In line with this, IAF will intensify its global initiatives to empower manufacturers and their associations to act as strategic partners in the industry transition that we need—investing in people, processes, and technology. Resilient supply chains are built together. Weathering this tariff crisis also requires a joint effort. We therefore urge brands and retailers to work collaboratively with manufacturers by honoring sourcing commitments, maintaining standards, and avoiding cost shifts that threaten supply chain viability. The apparel industry is and always will be a global industry, with trade as an integral and indispensable part of it. IAF stands with the global manufacturing community, committed to unity and collective strength to be able to weather this storm and then to move to a stronger position together. Through collaborative approaches and strategic partnerships, we can build a more resilient and sustainable future for the global apparel industry— one that benefits all stakeholders across the value chain and ensures long-term prosperity despite policy turbulence. 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 (KD)
