 HOTEL RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE NOW by calling the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina (CHR&M) directly at 843-856-0028 or 888-856-0028. The CHR&M reservations office is open from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. (Eastern). In order to get the Convention Rate of $199/night, make sure to identify yourself as being with THA. Reservation cut-off date is at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 26, 2007. Don’t delay, make your hotel reservations for THA’s 102nd Annual Convention – Thursday, April 26 – Sunday, April 29, 2007 at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.  EXHIBIT at THA CONVENTION: THA SUPPLIER MEMBERS will be provided an exclusive opportunity during the 2007 Annual Convention. SUPPLIERS that are members of THA will have a chance to gain great company exposure and networking opportunities with hosiery company decision makers. These supplier companies will be able to occupy their own display table and feature their product samples, information, have give-a-ways, etc. The exhibit times will be held in conjunction with the Continental Breakfasts and Breaks during General Sessions on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28. Complete Exhibit information will be available soon and “booths” will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested in exhibiting, please email vicki.camp@hosieryassociation.com so you can be contacted regarding specific exhibit information when it is available.
 Hosiery News Readership Response Rate Outstanding! If you have not already done so, will you please take 60 seconds to complete our Hosiery News Readership Survey. We can assure you that your answers are kept completely confidential and your identity cannot be tracked. Your feedback is critical in enabling us to transform Hosiery News to better meet your needs. Simply click on this link or paste in your browser right now. CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY. Thank you in advance for your help and do not hesitate to contact Sally Kay with any ques tions.
September/October Issue of Hosiery News Mailed Today! Copies of the Association’s official magazine will be issued in both printed and electronic formats. If you know of someone in your company who would also like to receive Hosiery Insider, please email us at insider@hosieryassociation.com. Please provide complete contact information, especially email address. THA Membership – 5 BUSINESS DAYS LEFT BEFORE COMPANIES WHOSE DUES ARE NOT PAID ARE RESIGNED – Companies whose 2006-2007 dues are not paid by September 30 will be resigned automatically. Please don’t let your membership with THA lapse due to non-payment of dues. Mail your dues payments in as soon as possible to avoid being resigned as a THA member. Thank you to all those companies who have paid their dues! The generic login and password to enter the MEMBERS ONLY portion of THA’s website will expire at the end of September. All members will be provided with a new password. Please make sure you have renewed your membership so you will still be able to access this section and vital THA information. THA OFFICE IS MOVING! – Effective November 1, 2006, THA will have a new address: 7421 Carmel Executive Park - Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28226. Telephone and fax numbers will remain the same. THA MOVING SALE – We have several copies left of THA Centennial: In Step With The Industry For 100 Years. THA is offering these for $10/copy. If you have not yet purchased a copy of this book full of historical hosiery information, now’s your chance. Buy one for yourself; buy several for your employees or for gifts. For every four copies purchased, we’ll give you a FREE copy. Contact THA at 704-365-0913 if you would like to place an order – ACT NOW BEFORE THEY ARE ALL GONE. Hosiery Association Trade Reference Interchange: Time is running out for hosiery member companies to sign up for THA and Lyon Mercantile Group’s Trade Reference Interchange. There are no upfront fees, on subscription fees and no obligation to purchase reports. This is an excellent opportunity for Hosiery Member Credit Managers to share their industry-specific customer payment experiences with one another in a secure environment. Participating Hosiery Members will be issued a user ID and password to access reports via Lyon’s website for a six-month trial period. We are excited about this new benefit for THA Hosiery Members and hope you will pass this information on to your Credit Managers so they start participating. A link to Lyon Mercantile Group is now available on THA’s website – Member Section. To sign up, please contact Karen Smith at Lyon Mercantile Group at 800-272-4183. GOLF TOURNAMENT WEDNESDAY– Room for maybe one more foursome at THA’s 2nd Annual Industry-Wide Golf Tournament, scheduled for Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at Birkdale Golf Club? Call Mike Austell at 704-365-0913, ext. 204 or Register now - http://www.hosieryassociation.com/docs/2006THAGOLFFORM.doc. Special thanks to GROZ-BECKERT as the major sponsor for this golf tournament. And thank you to our additional sponsors, which include Fiber & Yarn Products, Frontier Spinning, Globe Express Services, Henderson Machinery, HIFOMACO, Ken Smith Yarn Co., McMichael Mills, PAM Trading/PAF Sales, Parkdale Mills, Pharr Yarns, RadiciSpandex, Regal/Worldtex, R. L. Stowe Mills, Swift Spinning and Unifi. Those interested in a sponsorship, which includes guaranteed entries should contact Mike. More info on Birkdale, including directions can be found at http://www.birkdale.com/. 
CHA Suppliers Luncheon will be held on Thursday, September 28 at the Peppertree Inn in Greensboro, NC. Dan St. Louis and Tony Whitener will present a recap of the successful trade show to MAGIC in Las Vegas. To register, visit
http://www.hosieryassociation.com/docs/members/Sept28CHAL.doc 
Seamless Apparel Group will hold its next meeting on Thursday, September 28 at Hanes Brands Inc in Winston-Salem, NC
Legwear Communications Program will hold its next meeting on Monday, October 2 at Hanes Brands Inc. in Winston-Salem, NC.
THA Executive Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 10 at THA offices in Charlotte, NC. The 18th Annual Golf Outing, sponsored by the Alabama Chapter of THA will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, October 11 –12, 2006 at Terrapin Hills Country Club. Dinner will be at 6:00 pm Wednesday with the Calcutta to follow. The 18th Annual Golf Tournament will be Thursday at Terrapin Hills Country Club. The Captain’s Choice Tournament will begin at 12:00 A.M. CDT with a shotgun start. For more information, visit http://www.hosieryassociation.com/docs/members/2006THAGolfInvitation.doc. AL/TN Chapters Luncheon is tentatively scheduled to be held October 19 at Lookout Mountain Golf Club in Lookout Mountain, GA. THA Board of Directors will meet on Thursday, November 2 in Charlotte, NC. Hosiery 101 & 102 Classes being offered again November 8 & 9 at the Hosiery Technology Center in Hickory, NC. To register, contact the HTC at www.legsource.com.  The Global Manufacturers Committee (GMC) has issued the August trade report to participating member companies. This report contains the latest legislative, regulatory and statistical information that directly impacts the hosiery industry. Additionally, this group has scheduled meetings in Washington next month with various governmental agencies and key members of Congress prior to Recess. For further information on how your company can get involved, please contact GMC Chairman Sandy Browder Global DBMM, (336) 723 0729 or gbrowder@global-dbmm.com. Hosiery Insider Sponsorship: Do you want a cost effective venue for communicating your messages to thousands worldwide? Sponsor the next issue of Hosiery Insider. For details, contact Mike Austell at 704-365-0913 Ext 204 or mike.austell@hosieryassociation.com. THA provides Members Web Based Commercials – Visit THA’s home page, www.hosieryassociation.com and experience the MAGIC/WSA video. This technology is available to you and your company. Contact the THA office for details at 704.365.0913. 
 Jordache Ltd. Signs Licensing Agreement with United Legwear Company to manufacture and sell socks and tights for men, women and children under the U.S. Polo Association label. The Spring 2007 collection includes casual and athletic silhouettes featuring a range of novelty embroideries, screen prints, rugby stripes and solids. A strong primary color palette and brand embellishments reflect the U.S. Polo Assn. Spring ’07 apparel offering.
 According to Cliff Lelonek, President and CEO of U.S. Polo Assn., “Legwear is a natural extension of the overall lifestyle concept we’ve envisioned for U.S. Polo Assn. We are fully confident that our partnership with United Legwear in this venture is a well-chosen next-step in the evolution of the brand and its long range success.”
Several sports-casual legwear styles for U.S. Polo Assn. will incorporate the double-horseman logo. The silhouettes range from low-cut, to crews; some styles have added cushioning in the foot for a sports-inspired design. The children’s collection, available only in multi-packs, will feature colorful spring brights that tie back to the sportswear. Charnos Hosiery Continues Their Support of Breast Cancer Care: Charnos Hosiery is proud to be continuing their support of Breast Cancer Care as the official hosiery sponsor of its prestigious annual fashion show and their 'pink ribbon' collaboration on Charnos hosiery packs. Breast Cancer is the UK's leading provider of breast cancer information and support. With almost forty one thousand women being diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK it is important that women can still look and feel good after breast cancer. Charnos wants to make women feel feminine and special when wearing their hosiery and now women can feel even more special about themselves as each pack sold contributes funds to support the great work of Breast Cancer Care! Every year Breast Cancer Care responds to two million requests for support and information about breast cancer. Charnos is working with Breast Cancer Care to donate a minimum of £45,000 over a period of three years. AATCC Announces 3rd Annual C2C®/CITDA Design Competition for Students: AATCC continues to expand this competition by inviting submissions from institutions with textile design programs and those with art, interior design, and fashion merchandising programs. The aim of the competition continues to be the promotion of innovative product development. The theme of this year’s competition is “Rainy Days and Picnics,” and the contest has been divided into two main categories: Interior Design and Apparel Design. Each of these main categories has been broken down further into sub-categories: Print Design and Product Design. Entries must be received on CD by December 1, 2006. For complete competition guidelines and entry forms, go to http://www.aatcc.org/membership/students/AATCC_2007design_comp.cfm or contact Suzanne Holmes; e-mail holmes@aatcc.org; telephone 919-549-3537.
AATCC Announces its 2nd Annual Engineering Design Competition for Students: Submissions are invited from both graduate and undergraduate students. The aim of the competition is the promotion of innovative product development from an engineering design perspective. The theme of this year’s competition is “Design of Material Structures,” and the contest has been divided into three areas:
• Industrial/Technical
• Protective/Medical/Biomedical
• Smart/Electronic
Entries must be submitted in the form of a preliminary design proposal on CD and must be received by March 1, 2007. For complete competition guidelines and entry forms, go to http://www.aatcc.org/membership/students/AATCC_2007design_comp.cfm or contact Suzanne Holmes; e-mail holmes@aatcc.org; telephone 919-549-3537. NC State University’s 2006 Continuing Education Schedule: Upcoming sessions for September include: “Color and Dyeing” – September 26-29 – topics to be covered include: basic wet processing steps, dyestuff properties, lab dip techniques, and basic color theory as applied to shade matching and evaluation. Upcoming sessions for October include: “Weaving & Knitting Fundamentals” on October 2 and “Textile Fundamentals” on October 23. Most of the courses are held on NCSU’s Centennial Campus. To view the entire 2006 schedule or if you are interested in registering for one of these courses, visit www.ContinuingEducation.NCSU.edu. Material World Show – Material World will have one more show in 2006: September 26-28 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, NY. “From Design to Delivery, the Premier Global Trade Event for the Sewn Products Industries.” Additional information can be found at www.material-world.com. Export Financing Solutions – The US Department of Commerce is offering a one-day workshop on your principal export financing solutions. Learn how to compete globally. Topics to be discussed include: Methods of Payment, Letters of Credit, Incoterms, Role of the International Freight Forwarder and Legal Aspects of Export Transactions. The seminar will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm September 27 at the Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, NC and again on September 28 at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. To register, please visit: www.buyusa.gov/northcarolina/exportfinancingsolutions.html. Space is limited and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Final 2006 Seattle Trend Show – This is the final 2006 regional tradeshow for the Pacific Northwest, featuring women’s, children’s and men’s apparel and accessories. For 65 years this show has served independent retailers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia. The show will be held at the Qwest Field Event Center in Seattle, Washington on October 5-8. For more information about this show, contact Patricia Hodges, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest Apparel Association: T – 206-767-9200, F – 206-767-0707, E – pnaa@earthlink.net, W – www.seattletrendshow.com. Atlanta Women’s and Children’s Apparel/Accessories Market – To be held October 19-23 at America’s Mart in Atlanta, GA. For further information, visit www.americasmart.com. Dallas Market Center Show – The final 2006 Men’s & Boys’ Apparel Market and the Women’s & Children’s Apparel and Accessories shows will be held at the Dallas Market Center in Dallas, TX October 26-29. Dallas Market Center, the largest wholesale merchandise resource in the world as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records, is the one location where retailers from around the globe source a wide range of products including textiles, fashion accessories and women's, men's, children's and western apparel. For more detailed information, visit www.dallasmarketcenter.com. Los Angeles International Textile Show – The Fall/Winter 2007 edition of this show will be held on October 30-November 1 at the California Market Center in Los Angeles, CA. For over 12 years, the Los Angeles International Textile Show has been the premier fabric tradeshow on the west coast attracting thousands of designers and manufacturers and over 300 exhibitors including many European, designer, and directional fabric lines inspired by the unique west coast apparel and interiors design aesthetic. For additional information, visit www.californiamarketcenter.com. AATCC’s 2006 International Conference & Exhibition (IC&E) will be held October 31-November 2 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. This event is co-located with Megatex. More information can be found at www.aatcc.org. 6th Yiwu International Exhibition on Hosiery & Garment Industries – To be held November 2-4 in Yiwu-Zhejiang, China. For more information, visit www.2456.com.
Congratulations Jim Leonard! On behalf of THA, we’d like to thank you for a job well done. Best of luck to you and hope you enjoy your well deserved retirement!
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 U.S. and China Establish Strategic Economic Dialogue
The U.S. and China recently announced the establishment of a bilateral Strategic Economic Dialogue to provide an overarching framework for ongoing discussions and future economic relations. According to a Treasury Department fact sheet, this dialogue will occur at the highest official levels and is the first of its kind for the United States. This exercise is designed to help the two countries address critical challenges facing their economies and provide them with a forum for discussing cross-cutting issues. It will also serve as a forum for discussing ways they can work together to address economic challenges and opportunities as responsible stakeholders in the international economic system. The intent of the dialogue is to discuss long-term strategic challenges rather than seeking immediate solutions to the issues of the day.
EU and China Create Pilot Program to Strengthen Customs Cooperation
The European Union announced this week that it plans to soon launch a pilot container security project with China that aims create secure trade lanes between the two economies. An EU press statement expressed hope that this initiative will lead to increased security and trade facilitation throughout the supply chain in the long term through reciprocity and mutual recognition of standards, improved information flows, improved risk assessment and targeting of controls. The project falls under the framework of the EU-China Agreement on Customs Cooperation and is the outcome of a Sept. 19 meeting between EU Taxation and Customs Union Commissioner László Kovács and Chinese Customs Minister Mu Xinsheng.The pilot project will focus on sea containers shipped between the ports of Rotterdam, Felixstowe and Shenzhen. The project will track the process from the container’s point of loading to its final destination. Depending on the success of the pilot, the project could be expanded gradually to include additional European and Chinese ports.
House Passes Wool Labeling Fairness Act
The House of Representatives passed Sept. 19 under suspension of the rules the Wool Suit Fabric Labeling Fairness and International Standards Conforming Act (H.R. 4583). This bill aims to protect consumers and industry from deceptively labeled or mislabeled wool or cashmere products by establishing a legal standard for labeling superfine wool and cashmere products. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced companion legislation the same day. The Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939 requires that most textiles or wool products include a permanent tag conveying three pieces of information to the consumer: the fiber content, the country of origin and the name of the manufacturer or other business responsible for product distribution. Wool products are subject to specific requirements beyond other textile products. While most fibers must be identified only when they meet or exceed 5% of product weight, products that contain any amount of wool must be labeled to indicate such content. Many wool products are now labeled as “Super 80s,” “Super 90s,” “Super 100s” or such designation through “Super 250s.” These super grades identify the fineness of wool fibers.
CBP Extends Quota Preprocessing Test
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that it is extending its quota preprocessing program test until Dec. 31, 2008. This test provides for the electronic processing of certain quota-class apparel merchandise prior to the arrival of the importing carrier. The test is currently being conducted at all CBP ports and was set to expire Dec. 31, but it is being extended so that CBP can continue to evaluate its effectiveness. Applications to participate in the test and comments concerning the test will continue to be accepted through out the testing period.
Quota preprocessing allows certain quota entries classified under HTSUS chapters 61 and 62 to be filed and reviewed for admissibility and have their quota priority and status determined by CBP prior to the arrival of the carrier, similar to the method of preliminary review by which non-quota entries are currently processed. CBP notes that the purpose of quota preprocessing is to reduce CBP processing time for qualified quota entries and to expedite the release of the subject merchandise to importers. To this end, test participants have been allowed to submit quota entries to CBP up to five days prior to vessel arrival, after the wheels are up on air shipments or after the truck carrier departs for the U.S. border.
Senate Passes Oman FTA for a Second Time. The Senate passed the FTA with Oman for a second time Sept. 19 by a vote of 63-31. The Senate originally approved the agreement June 20 by a vote of 60-34 but had to vote again because of parliamentary procedures. The House voted 221-205 on July 20 to pass the FTA, which will now go to President Bush for his signature. The Oman FTA is the first Congress has approved since Susan Schwab became U.S. Trade Representative in June. According to a USTR press statement, the approval of the agreement marks another step toward Bush’s objective of establishing a Middle East Free Trade Area by 2013. The Oman agreement is the fifth bilateral FTA the U.S. has concluded in the region, joining pacts with Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Bahrain.
Dole and Graham Push for Textile Fix in Vietnam Agreement. Sens. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote a letter to USTR Susan Schwab this week again urging her to defend the U.S. textile industry from unfair trade practices by Vietnam. Dole and Graham have placed holds on legislation that would authorize the president to grant permanent normal trade relations status to Vietnam over concerns about the potential negative impact that the agreement the two countries signed regarding Vietnam’s WTO accession could have on Carolina textile jobs. The letter argued that Vietnam, like China, has a large and heavily subsidized textile sector that utilizes anti-free market principles to under-price producers in the U.S. The two senators asked Schwab to closely review all of the possible solutions to this problem and pledged to work closely with her on the issue. The House has scheduled a vote on Vietnam PNTR Nov. 13; the Senate has not yet placed the bill on its calendar.
China Adjusts Export Tax Rebates to Lower Trade Surplus
In an effort to reduce its soaring trade surplus, China recently adjusted the export tax rebates it provides to some of its largest export categories. The rebates were cut from 13% to 11% for textiles and from 11% to 8% for certain steel products, while in certain non-metal sectors, including coal and natural gas, the rebates were eliminated altogether. Exports from certain high-tech sectors, however, saw an increase in their rebates. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, these adjustments reflect an effort by the Chinese government to shift emphasis away from low-value-added exports and improve the balance of trade. China’s rising trade surplus, which hit a record $18.8 billion in August, has created tension with the country’s major trade partners, notably the U.S. and the European Union. Several U.S. senators, arguing that China’s surplus is fueled by an undervalued currency, are pushing for congressional action this month if China fails to announce some significant reform of its currency policy in the coming weeks. The export tax rebate adjustments could be an attempt by Chinese officials to take some of the focus off of currency reform; however, a number of economists predict that this move will have little effect on China’s trade surplus.
Nov. 13 House Vote on Vietnam PNTR. According to CongressDailyAM, House leaders are planning a Nov. 13 vote on permanent normal trade relations for Vietnam. Vietnam PNTR is widely expected to pass, but Congress has been reticent to put trade bills on the calendar before the November elections. President Bush is pushing for passage of the bill before he attends an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Hanoi Nov. 18-19.
House Members Raise Issues with Russia’s WTO Accession. A number of members of the House Financial Services Committee recently wrote to Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab to express their concerns about the financial services offer Russia has made as part of its negotiations with the U.S. on a bilateral WTO accession agreements. Committee members said they would like Russia to provide a timetable to phase out its permanent foreign penetration cap on both insurance and banking and to ensure that the accession agreement provides for 100% ownership and choice of juridical form. The current Russian proposal for a permanent foreign penetration cap of 50% is “unacceptable” and constitutes “bad commercial policy, bad trade policy and a very bad precedent.” In addition, the letter stated, Russia should not be permitted to join the WTO without commitments on branching for banks, insurance companies and insurance intermediaries.
U.S. and Mauritius Sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
The USTR announced this week that the U.S. has signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with Mauritius. Under the TIFA, a U.S.-Mauritius Trade and Investment Council will be formed to address a wide range of subjects, including trade promotion and development, export diversification, trade capacity building, intellectual property, labor, investment and environmental issues. According to the USTR, the council will establish an ongoing dialogue to help increase commercial and investment opportunities by identifying and working to remove impediments to trade and investment flows between the two countries. Total trade between the U.S. and Mauritius was valued at $252.7 million in 2005. More than two-thirds of that amount ($152.6 million) entered under the African Growth and Opportunity Act or the Generalized System of Preferences. Significant Mauritian exports to the U.S. include textiles and apparel, sugar, processed diamonds, jewelry, canned and frozen fish, and eyewear. The USTR notes that Mauritius is working to diversify its exports and is growing as an exporter of worked diamonds, sunglasses and eyewear. It has also been able to successfully attract significant investment in the services sector, particularly call centers and information communications technology.
More Than $100 Million in Textile and Apparel Goods Seized. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Sept. 13 that it has seized over the last year more than $100 million in textile and apparel goods that were misrepresented, smuggled or illegally transshipped in an effort to circumvent textile trade laws and regulations. Many different schemes are used to evade duties or quotas on textiles being brought into the country, CBP said; some importers circumvent quotas by transshipment, while others use false documents or labels or provide incorrect descriptions of the merchandise. This is a particular problem because textile imports represent 43% of all duty revenue collected by CBP. One of the enforcement tools being used is on-site verification of manufacturers, CBP noted. Since last October, CBP textile production verification teams have traveled to close to 450 foreign factories in 12 countries to review and verify that apparel shipped to the U.S. is produced at those facilities. According to CBP, sites are selected after extensive trade analysis. Countries are categorized based on the risk of noncompliance with trade laws and policies. Those countries identified as high-risk go to the top of the list for verification activities, and the selection of individual manufacturers is the result of stringent targeting techniques.
The contents printed in this document are informational in nature. They are gathered from various industry sources and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or actions of THA.
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