United States

The U.S. Senate has introduced a much-anticipated renewal of the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill. The TPA bill outlines U.S. trade negotiating objectives and priorities while allowing the President to carry out those negotiations with Congress retaining final approval authority on any agreement. This most recent renewal effort comes as the U.S. is involved in several major trade negotiations, including for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and has gained the endorsement of many apparel trade groups, including the U.S. Fashion Industry Association (USFIA), the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), and the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO). (Fibre2Fashion ) / (U.S. Trade Representative)
 
Three former employees of Los Angeles-based American Apparel are suing the company after being laid off earlier this year. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in California, claims that the workers were not given appropriate legal notice of the layoff and is seeking US$1 million in damages. The company has declined to comment on the matter, though Reuters says it has acquired a corporate memo from the company saying that they were acting within the law when notice of the layoff was given. (Reuters)