All Legal & Institutional articles – Page 4
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Deutsche Umwelthilfe sues Deichmann for alleged greenwashing
The German environmental and consumer protection association Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has filed an injunction against the German shoe retailer Deichmann, along with other companies, for allegedly misleading advertising regarding environmental benefits. The lawsuit is part of a broader campaign by Deutsche Umwelthilfe against greenwashing. Deichmann is accused of describing the ...
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China hikes tariffs on US goods to 125%
China has raised tariffs of goods imported from the US to 125 percent from a previous 84 percent, according to a statement from the State Council Tariff Commission released on the website of the Ministry of Finance. “The US’s imposition of abnormally high tariffs on China seriously violates international economic ...
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ArticleUS postpones reciprocal tariffs for 90 days except for China
On April 9, the US administration postponed for 90 days the application of so-called reciprocal tariffs to a string of countries. However, the waiver does not concern Chinese goods, for whom the US has increased reciprocal import duties to 125 percent. When added to an already existing 20 percent levy, ...
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China imposes 34% tariff on all US imports effective April 10
China will impose a 34 percent tariff on all goods imported from the US starting from April 10, in retaliation to the tariffs announced by the US administration, the official Xinhua news agency reported. China also announced export control measures on certain rare earth-related items, including samarium and gadolinium. Xinhua ...
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ArticleUS tariffs are expected to significantly hit Asian shoemakers
The decision made on April 2 by the US President Donald Trump to introduce tariffs on all goods imported to the US is expected to have a significant impact on footwear manufacturers, especially in Asia. Meanwhile, the UK is considered as coming out fairly unscathed from the new regime and ...
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Clergerie seeks a new buyer after going into receivership again
On March 5, a hearing scheduled by the commercial court of Romans-sur-Isère, France, is expected to determine whether there are buyers for Clergerie. On Dec. 4, 2024, the group’s manufacturing subsidiary, S.S.B, and commercial unit, J.H.J, were placed into receivership after the group’s owner, the California-based footwear company Titan ...
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ArticleExtra US tariffs on Chinese imports create ‘really challenging environment’ - FDRA
The announcement by the US President, Donald Trump, of the introduction of an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports from March 4 would create a “really challenging environment” for US importers fo Chinese footwear, according to Matt Priest, the President and CEO of the trade association Footwear Distributors and ...
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ArticleMoreschi receives offers to take over its assets
Moreschi, an Italian producer of upscale shoes that was put into liquidation in July 2024, has received several offers for its assets. “We had already received several expressions of interest, the last of which took the form of an offer to acquire the Moreschi and Stemar brands, the 18,000-meter factory ...
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ArticleGerman court rejects Birkenstock attempt to obtain copyright protection for its sandals
Birkenstock’s attempt to obtain copyright protection in Germany for its signature cork-soled sandals as “works of applied art” has failed, according to a statement released by the rival footwear company, Wortmann Group. Birkenstock filed three separate lawsuits for copyright infringement with Germany’s Federal Court of Justice (BGH), the country’s highest ...
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ArticleGoldstar notches another win against Birkenstock in French court
The Italian footwear manufacturer Rafting Goldstar has won another round in a long-running legal dispute with the German shoe manufacturer Birkenstock. The French Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the European Court of Justice from 2018, when judges dismissed the Rhineland-Palatinate-based sandal maker’s lawsuit against the Italian family-owned ...
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Semler files for bankruptcy
The traditional German shoe manufacturer Carl Semler GmbH filed for bankruptcy at the Pirmasens Local Court as a massive drop in sales and payment defaults took their toll on the company’s bottom line. The court appointed restructuring expert Lukas Eisenhuth of the law firm Abel and Partners as general representative ...
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ArticleGörtz faces insolvency again
One and a half years after the end of its insolvency proceedings, the troubled Hamburg-based shoe retailer Görtz is once again facing bankruptcy. On Jan. 20, the Hamburg District Court appointed the lawyer Gideon Böhm of the law firm Münzel & Böhm as provisional insolvency administrator, after four creditors filed ...
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ArticleBirkenstock seeks copyright protection as applied art for signature sandals
Birkenstock is seeking copyright protection for its signature cork-soled sandals as “works of applied art”. The German company, based in Linz am Rhein in the Rhineland-Palatinate region, filed three separate lawsuits for copyright infringement with Germany’s Federal Court of Justice (BGH), the country’s highest court for civil matters, against alleged ...
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Loro Piana wins a court case for shoe patent infringement
A court in the southern Italian city of Bari ordered MNSWR Group, a Lecce-based company that operates the menswear brand Viola Milano, to stop producing, marketing and selling footwear that allegedly infringed on Loro Piana’s copyrights for its Open Walk and Summer Walk shoes. The injunction issued on Nov. 25, ...
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Indian footwear industry targets $26 billion in sales by 2030
The Indian footwear industry is targeting sales of $26 billion by 2030, including $8 billion of export revenues. Currently, the footwear market, both leather and non-leather, is estimated at $18 billion, including $6 billion in exports. The government aims to increase local manufacturing capacity, enhance quality standards and strengthen the ...
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Birkenstock loses appeal against Aldi over sandal design
Birkenstock has lost an appeal in a legal dispute with Aldi over the design of a sandal featuring a large buckle, sold by the German discount supermarket chain. Birkenstock had filed several claims against Aldi, including violations of design and competition law, as well as demands for information and financial ...
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ArticleEU and Mercosur conclude free trade agreement talks
After 25 years of negotiations, the European Union and Mercosur countries have concluded talks on a free trade agreement, according to Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. ”We have concluded the negotiations for the EU-Mercosur agreement. It marks the beginning of a new story. I now ...
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EU-Mercosur free trade deal “in sight”
A free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur countries is “in sight” after 25 years of negotiations, according to Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. “Touchdown in Latin America. The finish line of the EU-Mercosur agreement is in sight. Let’s work, let’s cross it. ...
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ArticleFrench parliament opposes EU-Mercosur deal
The French senate and the lower house of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, have rejected a tentative free trade agreement negotiated by the European Commission and Mercosur. On Nov. 27, 338 senators out of 348 voted against the draft agreement. The day before, 484 members of the lower house approved ...
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Le Coq Sportif placed into receivership
A Paris-based commercial court has placed Le Coq Sportif into receivership. The Swiss group Airesis, which owns 75 percent of the French sportswear firm, indicated that Le Coq Sportif had applied to open a judicial restructuring procedure. The court confirmed the procedure. Le Coq Sportif will continue operating but has ...
