Trade news and archive

British Embassy in Tokyo calls for sponsors to support fashion trade event

The British Embassy in Tokyo is calling for partners and sponsors to support an event in Japan intended to welcome UK delegates from the Fashion and Luxury sector. The “showcase and reception” are being held as part of the UK at Expo programme, which is currently being held in Osaka up until October 13. UK brands are to be showcased within the...

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Strong growth in Chinese retail despite US trade dispute

Chinese retail sales increased by 6.4 percent year-on-year in May, despite the ongoing trade dispute with the US. This marked the strongest growth since late 2023, following a 5.1 percent rise in April. Analysts were surprised by this positive development, having forecasted a decline in growth to 4.9 percent. French bank Société Générale...

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China gives no details on tariff agreement with US

China is keeping a low profile following the agreement announced by US President Donald Trump on easing export restrictions in the ongoing trade dispute. Both sides have made new progress in resolving the other side's economic and trade concerns, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in Beijing. The People's Republic hopes that both sides...

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Misinformation casts shadow on US-China trade truce

From false claims of Americans panic-buying Chinese goods to bot-driven attacks on US brands, a tide of misinformation is casting a shadow over a temporary trade truce between Washington and Beijing. The world's two biggest economies agreed earlier this month to pause reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, a surprise de-escalation in their bitter trade...

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Trump grants EU postponement on threatened new tariffs

US President Donald Trump wants to postpone the introduction of the new tariffs on imports from the EU, which he announced for the beginning of June, by a good month to allow more time for negotiations. Trump announced that the start of the additional import duties of 50 percent would be postponed to July 9, after a conversation with European...

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Trump wants 50 percent tariffs on EU goods from June

In a trade dispute with the European Union, US president Donald Trump advocated for punitive tariffs of 50 percent. He wrote on his online platform, Truth Social, that this levy for goods from the EU should come into effect on June 1. “There are no tariffs if the product is built or manufactured in the US,” he added. Trump wrote that ongoing...

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New study finds brands refusing to adjust prices to reflect minimum wage increases

A new survey by Transform Trade has found that “unfair practices are rife in fashion businesses” when working with Indian garment manufacturers. Among the behaviours reported, the organisation said that it found evidence of brands refusing to raise prices in line with cost increases and demanding extra price reductions despite production being...

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Textile crisis between India and Bangladesh: Inside a logistical lockdown

By blocking imports of Bangladeshi garments via land, India is indirectly closing off its neighbour’s access to its ports and airports, which are essential for its global exports. The decision appears to be a form of diplomatic retaliation. On May 17, 2025, India announced the suspension of several Bangladeshi imports via its land border posts,...

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UK and EU establish trade agreement, future of textiles not yet certain

The UK and the European Union have confirmed a new agreement intended to “make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported”. How the textile industry will be impacted is not yet known, however. According to a press release from the UK government, the deal, which comes after “extensive negotiations” over the last six months,...

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‘Brexit effect’: New study by Walpole reveals impact of Brexit on UK luxury

A new study by Walpole has stated that luxury exports from the EU to the UK were on average 43 percent lower than they may have been without Brexit. According to the platform’s ‘Trading with Europe’ report, the fashion and accessories sector has been the hardest hit by Brexit-impacted trading, reporting a decline of 64 percent on exports to the...

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AAFA, FDRA and NRF welcome US-China tariff pause, call for long-term deal

US apparel and footwear trade associations have welcomed the US and China’s 90-day pause on heightened tariffs. Yet, while the temporary agreement has somewhat calmed the waters of the two regions’ trade war, organisations are still calling for a long-term deal that will mitigate rising costs and prices. This was reflected in a statement from...

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Trump maringally lowers US tariff barrier for Temu and co.

Even after the temporary easing of the trade dispute, Donald Trump continued to make business difficult in the US for Chinese online retailers like Temu and Shein. Until recently, they benefited from the fact that goods deliveries with a value of less than 800 dollars were exempt from tariffs. Since the beginning of May, however, a tariff of 120...