All Legal & Institutional articles
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ArticleBrazil renews footwear export program for 2 years
Abicalçados, the Brazilian footwear association, and ApexBrasil, the Brazilian agency for the promotion of exports and investments, signed the renewal of a two-year agreement to promote Brazilian footwear. Under the agreement, the parties will invest a combined 45.63 million reais (€7.7m) in commercial and promotional initiatives abroad over 2026 ...
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EU and Australia conclude talks for a free trade agreement
On March 24, the European Union and Australia announced the adoption of a security and defence partnership. The parties have also concluded negotiations for an “ambitious and balanced” free trade agreement (FTA) and agreed to launch formal negotiations for the association of Australia to Horizon Europe, the world’s largest funding ...
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ArticleEU-Mercosur trade deal applied provisionally from May 1
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), said that it will start on May 1 with the provisional application of the EU-Mercosur interim Trade Agreement (iTA) despite the opposition of some leading European countries and a demand of clarification by the European Parliament. ”By sending its ...
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European shoemakers call for rapid introduction of 'deemed importer' designation
Alongside 15 other trade associations of the European Union, the European Footwear Confederation (CEC) has signed an industry statement calling for the rapid introduction of the EU’s “deemed importer” designation. “European traders are facing a growing influx of small consignments from third-country e-commerce platforms, including many ultra-fast fashion products that ...
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US global tariff could rise to 15% this week
The US could increase its global tariff to 15 percent from 10 percent this week, according to the Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on March 4. Bessent also predicted that US tariff rates would, by August, effectively return to where they stood before the ...
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ArticleAeffe receives expressions of interest from investors, plans to pick a buyer by end May
Aeffe, the troubled Italian fashion group that owns the luxury footwear brand Pollini, has received several non-binding expressions of interest from Italian and foreign investors with experience in the fashion industry. Aeffe also owns the high-profile brands Alberta Ferretti and Moschino. The information was released by Mimit, the Italian ministry ...
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ArticleEU to proceed with provisional application of the trade agreement with Mercosur
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), is proceeding with the provisional application of the controversial free trade agreement with Mercosur after the accord was cleared by Argentina and Uruguay. Brazil and Paraguay are expected to follow soon, according to Ursula von der Leyen, the ...
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New US 10% tariff comes into effect
A new 10 percent global tariff announced by the White House on goods imported into the US came into effect on Feb. 24. The US President, Donald Trump, announced that the rate would be increased to 15 percent, but the move still has to be made official. On Feb. ...
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European Commission probes Shein
The European Commission (EC) has opened an inquiry into Shein under the auspices of the EU’s Digital Services Act. The allegations are three: addictive design non-transparent recommender systems sale of illegal products (e.g., “child-like sex dolls”) The inquiry follows on preliminary analyses of Shein’s own risk-assessment reports ...
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ArticleTrump announces a 15% worldwide tariff after US Supreme Court ruling
US President, Donald Trump, announced a 15 percent worldwide tariffs on goods imported into the US after the US Supreme Court said that the President had exceed his authority by imposing tariffs under the the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977. The ruling, issued on Feb. 20, was ...
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Schuhhaus Horsch files for bankruptcy
The German shoe retailer Schuhhaus Horsch has filed for bankruptcy, adding to a growing list of store closures in the country’s struggling footwear sector. The company, which specializes in extra-large and extra-small shoe sizes, has been hit by the insolvency of a key Portuguese supplier that caused significant supply disruptions. ...
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US Supreme Court rules against trade tariffs
The US Supreme Court struck a blow to the tariff policy of President Donald Trump, ruling six to three that the executive may not set tariffs by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977. According to Reuters, the majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, quotes ...
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ArticleItalian shoemakers see delay in EU-Mercosur trade deal as severely damaging
The European Parliament’s decision to delay the ratification of the European Union-Mercosur trade agreement by requesting a legal opinion from the Court of Justice of the European Union is viewed as severely damaging by the Italian footwear industry. “The postponement of the EU-Mercosur agreement represents serious damage for our ...
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ArticleTheo Wormland to cease operations
Wormland, the German men’s fashion retailer, founded in Hannover in 1935, is shutting down after efforts to find new investors failed following its second insolvency. With no viable offers submitted, the provisional creditors’ committee has decided to close the nearly 90-year-old company and insolvency proceedings were formally opened by the ...
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Northern Irish retailer Houstons Footwear closes down
After 50 years of activity, Houstons Footwear, an independent retailer located on Strand Road in the North Irish town of Londonderry, also referred to as Derry, is closing down. In a post on Facebook dated Jan. 29, the retailer wrote: “To all our customers,After much thought, we want to let ...
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CEC introduces a new member category and launches a sustainability working group
The European Footwear Confederation (CEC) introduced a new membership category, Associate Members, following the modification of its statutes and launched a sustainability working group with some European technology centers. “This new category aims to broaden participation within the footwear community by welcoming stakeholders beyond national footwear associations, thereby strengthening collaboration, ...
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Piazza Italia placed under judicial administration in Italy
Piazza Italia, an Italian fast-fashion chain, has been placed under judicial administration for a year by a Florence-based court for having allegedly benefitted financially by outsourcing production to suppliers abusing the rights of their workers. According to public prosecutors based in Prato, a large Italian clothing cluster, since 2022 the ...
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US to cut trade tariffs on Indian imports
The US President, Donald Trump, said that the US will cut to 18 percent from 25 percent the so-called reciprocal tariff imposed on Indian imports after the two countries reached a trade agreement. According to Trump, the tariff cut comes after the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, agreed to stop ...
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Indian shoemakers see new opportunities with EU trade deal
The trade agreement reached by the European Union and India will create “new opportunities” for the Indian footwear and leather industry, according to R Selvam, the Executive Director of Council for Leather Exports (CLE), which is sponsored by India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry. “The India–EU free trade agreement, which ...
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EU and India conclude negotiations for free trade agreement
The European Union and India have concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement, marking the largest such deal ever concluded by either side. “The EU and India make history today, deepening the partnership between the world’s biggest democracies,” commented Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. “We ...
