In the face of the crisis of the new coronavirus epidemic, the International Apparel Federation (IAF) calls on the global apparel supply chain and its stakeholders, including governments and consumers, to unite and cooperate to reduce the impact of the epidemic. Supplier’s damages.
IAF stated that as stores continue to close and orders are canceled around the world, it is inevitable that the entire supply chain will suffer revenue losses. We cannot expect buyers to risk bankruptcy or job losses to save suppliers.
But working together to find solutions to reduce damage to suppliers is not only urgent but also feasible. In the face of this crisis, solidarity means working with industry members to bridge the pay gap for workers and the need gap for businesses.
IAF said that if our actions are only based on the goal of passing losses up the supply chain as much as possible, it will cause a rift in trust. And when we emerge from the crisis, this trust rift will be difficult to repair.
IAF Secretary-General Matthijs Crietee said: The choices made now will be reviewed later.
The COVID-19 crisis has caused an unprecedented impact on the textile and apparel supply chain and triggered a chain effect of revenue losses. In Germany, offline fashion retail sales in the first three weeks of March fell by 42% compared with the same period last year. In Bangladesh, orders worth more than 2 billion euros have been canceled in the past few days.
IAF mainly represents small and medium-sized clothing brands, clothing manufacturers and their public associations, as well as industry suppliers in nearly 50 countries around the world. IAF directly or indirectly represents thousands of Thousands of companies.
The apparel and textile industry consists of the world’s longest and most widespread supply chains, employing tens of millions of people.
Crietee said each company had to decide they didn’t want to breach the buying code of conduct if they could avoid it in any way.
IAF believes that the existing global normative framework can help companies make these choices. This framework is based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and is based on The “Due Diligence Guidelines” of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) serve as guidelines to guide the development of the apparel and footwear industry in practice.
Over the past few years, we have seen major brands and retailers make firm and public commitments to practice responsible buying behavior in their supply chains and comply with the OECD Due Diligence Survey Guidelines. The current situation is the most important and public test of these commitments.
The IAF believes that supply chain unity is crucial but not enough in terms of the current crisis.
We need the world to come together and governments and citizens to financially help tens of millions of garment manufacturing workers.
Therefore, in addition to calling on the industry to strengthen supply chain solidarity, the IAF urgently hopes for financial support from relevant multilateral organizations and governments. Please quickly formulate an industry-wide support plan to Helping the most vulnerable links in the global apparel and textile industry.
