Audience:
Open industry. All apparel and footwear industry professionals, regardless of AAFA membership, are encouraged to participate.
Description:
With the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs overturned, billions in duties are eligible for recovery — but the path to a refund is far from automatic. Apparel importers now face a significant burden of proof, requiring them to substantiate classification and origin across complex value chains to secure a successful claim.
This session moves beyond the headlines to tackle the practical issues importers face today. We will demystify the reality of tariff stacking, explaining why the removal of IEEPA doesn't always translate into immediate savings when Section 232 or 301 duties remain in play.
Join AAFA and Altana to learn how leading brands are moving past manual spreadsheets. We’ll demonstrate how AI-powered recalculation allows companies to assess exposure and identify refund opportunities at scale. Discover how to build the structured, defensible data foundation needed to navigate regulatory scrutiny and maximize your recovery without the administrative bottleneck.
Attendees of this webinar will learn:
- To identify the specific documentation and data structures required to substantiate IEEPA refund claims and satisfy regulatory audits.
- Why removing IEEPA doesn't guarantee automatic savings and how to model the impact of overlapping Section 232 and 301 duties.
- How AI-powered recalculation automates duty assessments across vast catalogs, turning manual recovery into a scalable, audit-ready workflow.
Speakers:
Jack Maher
Team Lead, Customer Success Management
Altana
Jack Maher is a Team Lead for Customer Success Management at Altana. He works directly with major apparel and footwear brands to operationalize supply chain intelligence for trade compliance, tariff management, and responsible sourcing. Jack brings deep expertise in the specific challenges facing fashion and apparel importers navigating today's volatile trade environment.
Nicole Bivens Collinson
Managing Principal, Operating Committee, International Trade & Government Relations Practice Leader
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.
Nicole Bivens Collinson is a Managing Principal, Operating Committee, and International Trade and Government Relations Practice Leader with Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. She is located in the Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Collinson is a commentator on trade matters on MSNBC, NPR, and BBC and is the producer of the Two Minutes in Trade podcast. Ms. Collinson has nearly 40 years of experience in government, public affairs, and lobbying. She has drafted and guided the successful implementation of several pieces of key international trade legislation positively affecting the bottom line of many U.S. companies.
Andrea Cory
Product Marketing Manager
Altana
Andrea is a Product Marketing Manager at Altana. She leads product marketing for Altana's trade compliance solutions across enterprise and logistics. Prior to Altana, she worked in product marketing at Cordial, Wunderkind, and Ogilvy.
AAFA Host:
Beth Hughes
Vice President, Trade and Customs Policy
AAFA
Beth Hughes is responsible for AAFA’s advocacy strategy on international trade and customs issues impacting the apparel and footwear industry. Beth oversees AAFA’s Trade and Customs Committee and leads the Coalition of Economic Partnerships in the Americas (CEPA). Beth also serves as a Cleared Advisor on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee 13: Customs Matters and Trade Facilitation advising the U.S Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative. Before joining AAFA, Beth worked at the International Dairy Foods Association and the USA Rice Federation covering agricultural trade policy issues. Beth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at George Washington University and received a Master of Arts in international affairs from Florida State University.
Unable to join on May 4?
Register for the webinar to receive an email containing the direct links to access the recording and the PDF version of the presentation. The email will be sent 1-3 business days after the webinar.
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Stephanie Paendong