Legal & Institutional – Page 2
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ArticleUS Treasury Secretary sees de-escalation in trade war with China
During a private summit with investors hosted by JPMorgan Chase held in Washington, the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expects “there will be a de-escalation” in the trade war with China in the “very near future,” CNBC reported citing a person attending the meeting. “No one thinks the ...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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ArticleCEC and Abicalçados call for a swift conclusion of EU-Mercosur free trade talks
CEC, the European footwear confederation, and Abicalçados, which represents Brazilian shoemakers, are among the 78 business associations representing a diverse array of industries from the European Union (EU) and Mercosur asking their governments to rapidly conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two economic blocks. Mercosur was established ...
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ArticleTapestry, Capri scrap plans to merge
Tapestry, the US owner of the fashion brands Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, has reached an agreement to terminate plans to merge with Capri Holdings, which owns the brands Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo. “Capri and Tapestry mutually agreed that terminating the merger agreement at this time is ...
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ArticleStuart Weitzman’s sales rise driven by North America
Stuart Weitzman, the premium footwear brand of the US fashion group Tapestry, posted sales of $53.7 million in the fiscal first quarter ended Sept. 28, up by 2 percent year-on-year both on a reported basis and at constant currency rates, as growth in North America offset “softness” in Greater China. ...
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ArticleCapri and Tapestry’s merger blocked by a US court
A US judge has blocked an $8.5 billion planned merger between the luxury goods groups Capri Holdings and Tapestry. Capri owns the luxury footwear brand Jimmy Choo as well as the fashion labels Versace and Michael Kors. Meanwhile, Tapestry owns the premium footwear group Stuart Weitzman and the fashion brands ...
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ArticleGerman retailers voice concerns about increasing red tape
Faced with economic uncertainty, German retailers are calling for urgent reforms to alleviate the mounting bureaucratic hurdles that many say are crippling their businesses. According to a survey conducted by HDE, the German retail association, 89 percent of panelists reported being overwhelmed by excessive regulations, with a whopping 97 ...
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ArticleC-Suite interview - Trade shows have to speak the same language as exhibitors
On Sept. 9, 2024, Assocalzaturifici, the Italian association of shoemakers, announced the appointment of Giorgio Possagno as General Manager. The position had been vacant since the departure of Tommaso Cancellara on April 5, 2022. Aged 53, Possagno started his career with the tire maker Pirelli, where he worked at the ...
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ArticleSkechers sues Rockport for alleged patent infringement
Skechers filed a lawsuit on Sept. 4 in the Southern District of New York, accusing Rockport, its parent company, Authentic Brands Group (ABG), and its licensee, Marc Fisher Footwear, of selling shoes that allegedly infringe on its slip-in technology. “Rockport shoes infringe Skechers’ utility patent claims protecting innovations associated with ...
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ArticleEsprit’s Austrian subsidiary files for bankruptcy
Esprit’s Austrian subsidiary, Esprit Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H., has filed for bankruptcy at the Salzburg Regional Court. The announcement follows the insolvency application filed in May by the parent company Esprit Europe GmbH, headquartered in Ratingen, Germany. The bankruptcy affects 12 directly operated stores across Austria and approximately 170 employees. ...
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ArticleArmani, Dior under investigation for working conditions at suppliers
The Italian competition authority, AGCM, said that it has launched an investigation against the luxury goods groups Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior for alleged “unfair commercial practices.” According to the watchdog, “in some cases”, the companies may have used suppliers employing workers who may have received “inadequate wages”. In addition, ...
