All Trade & Sourcing articles
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Article
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 ...
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Trump threatens trade tariffs against Canada
The US President, Donald Trump, has threaten to impose a 100 percent tariff on Canadian imports it its northern neighbor signs a trade agreement with China. “If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a “Drop Off Port” for China to send goods and products into the United ...
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Pakistani’s SGFL forms joint venture with China’s Golden Star Footwear Group
Service Global Footwear Limited (SGFL), Pakistan’s largest footwear exporter, has entered into a joint venture agreement with Golden Star Footwear Group Limited, a Chinese company, to establish a manufacturing and export project for non-leather footwear in Pakistan. SGFL will hold a 51 percent stake in the joint venture and Golden ...
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ArticleUS pauses Greenland tariff threat
The US has paused threatened tariff increases against several European allies following talks between US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, easing tensions that had escalated over Greenland and transatlantic trade. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said tariff measures previously ...
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French footwear exports down 3% in the first 11 months of 2025
French exports of footwear totaled €4.859 billion in the first 11 months of 2025, down by 3 percent year-over-year, while imports were up by 2 percent at €7.609 billion, according to data released by Alliance France Cuir, the trade association representing the country’s leather and leather goods industry. It added ...
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ArticleThe EU and Mercosur sign a free trade agreement
On Jan. 17, the European Union and Mercosur signed a Partnership Agreement (EMPA) and an Interim Trade Agreement (iTA). However, the controversial free trade deal still has to be approved by the European Parliament and single EU member states. When on Jan. 9, a qualified majority of EU ...
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ArticleUS threatens to hike trade tariffs for 8 European countries in Greenland standoff
The US President Donald Trump announced additional tariffs on imports from eight European countries until an agreement is reached for the purchase of Greenland by the US. If applied, duties on exports to the US could increase to 35 percent for the UK and 40 percent for the other six ...
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Spanish footwear exports down 1.5% in first 10 months of 2025
Spanish footwear exports during the first ten months of 2025 totalled €2.92 billion, down by 1.5 percent compared to the same period in 2024, according to data released by the footwear association Fice.
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ArticleEU countries clear the Mercosur trade deal
A qualified majority of European Union member states has given the go-ahead to a free trade deal with the South American trade bloc Mercosur, despite protests of farmers and the opposition of France. Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that the parties had found a “balance” between the interests of ...
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Turkish inflation continues to slip
The annual inflation rate in Turkey fell to 30.89 percent in December 2025 from 44.38 percent the year earlier and from 64.77 percent in December 2023, according to data from Turkish statistics office Tuik. The monthly rate of inflation fell to 0.89 percent in December 2025 from 1.03 percent the ...
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ArticleRevenues of Italian footwear manufacturers drop by 0.9% in the third quarter
In the first nine months of 2025, revenues of Italian footwear manufacturers fell by 4.1 percent year-over-year, but the industry’s performance has gradually improved over the past three quarters and the decline was nearly erased in the third quarter, according to a survey carried out in November by Confindustria Accessori ...
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SponsoredZhejiang Huanqiu Shoes is looking for outdoor footwear companies
Zhejiang Huanqiu Shoes is playing a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of China’s modern footwear industry. Now they are looking for a footwear manufacturer to invest in.
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SponsoredZhejiang Huanqiu Shoes: A Growing Force in Global Footwear
Zhejiang Huanqiu Shoes is playing a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of China’s modern footwear industry. Now they are looking for a footwear manufacturer to invest in.
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Humanoid robots seen deployed globally over the next five years
Humanoid robots are set to be deployed globally in commercial applications across a range of industries over the next five years, according to the Japanese investment bank Daiwa. Robots are becoming viable options in handling repetitive and simple tasks, it noted. Over the next five years, there should be a ...
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Thirtheen brands asked to provide supply chain information to the Italian police
The Italian police visited 13 brands and asked them to provide documentation regarding their governance and the control of their supply chains as part of an investigation into alleged worker abuse at subcontractors, the Reuters news agency reported citing judicial documents. The companies concerned are Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Prada, ...
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Turkish inflation falls to four-year low
In November, Turkish consumer prices rose by 31.07 percent year-over-year, against 32.87 percent in October, the lowest level in four years, according to the statistics office Tuik. Month on month, inflation stood at 0.87 percent. However, independent economists at the Inflation Research Group (ENAG) claim that official data underestimates inflation ...
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UK scraps tariff exemption for low-value goods as EU accelerates similar reforms
The UK government will abolish its £135 tariff exemption for low-value imports, a measure expected to level the playing field for domestic retailers. The EU is fast-tracking similar reforms, signaling a major shift for cross-border e-commerce and sporting goods brands. The British finance minister, Rachel Reeves, confirmed plans to scrap ...
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OrthoLite opens a manufacturing site in North Vietnam
OrthoLite, the US-based supplier of sustainable open-cell foam insoles, announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility in North Vietnam. Located in the Ninh Binh Province, the site marks a key milestone in the company’s strategy to localize production and enhance service for regional and global footwear brands. The OrthoLite ...
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ArticleASF 4.0 launches its Portuguese 'megafactory' after raising fresh cash
Advanced Shoe Factory 4.0 (ASF 4.0), a unit of the French textile producer Chamatex Group, said that it is proceeding with the launch of a “megafactory” in Portugal with the goal of producing 1.5 million pairs of sports shoes annually from 2030. The project is part of ASF 4.0’s ambition ...
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US to cut Swiss trade tariffs to 15%
The United States and Switzerland reached trade agreement under which the US will cut import tariffs on Swiss products to 15 percent from 39 percent, while Switzerland will remove a range of tariffs across agriculture and industrial sectors and Swiss companies pledged to invest $200 billion in the US ...
