Industry Terms Defined

10+2- Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rule requiring importers and carriers to electronically submit additional information on cargo before it is brought into the United States by vessel.

Adhesive- an adhesive is a compound that adheres or bonds two items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources

AFA- Affordable Footwear Act

AFI- Affordable Footwear Initiative

AAFA (American Apparel & Footwear Association)- trade organization for US apparel and footwear manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.

Anti-Dumping- preventing the act of a manufacturer in one country exporting a product to another country at a price which is either below the price it charges in its home market or is below its costs of production.

Casualization- the changing of working practices so that workers are employed on a freelance and occasional basis instead of being offered full-time contracts

CBI- Caribbean Basin Initiative

CBP- U.S. Customs Border Protection

CEI- Compliance Enhancement Initiative

Chapter 64- Chapter 64 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) covers footwear, gaiters and the like, and parts of such articles

CPSC- Consumer Product Safety Comission

CT-PAT- a voluntary program in which all participating entities in the import supply chain cooperate with U.S. Customs in establishing acceptable security practices in all phases of their operations. By reviewing existing security procedures and implementing enhanced security arrangements, companies will be able to be certified by U.S. Customs as C-TPAT members.

Farm Bill- the primary agricultural and food policy tool of the Federal government of the United States. The comprehensive omnibus bill is passed every several years by the United States Congress and deals with both agriculture and all other affairs under the purview of the United States Department of Agriculture

Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008- replaced the last farm bill which expired in September 2007

FFANY (Fashion Footwear Association of New York)- a non-profit trade association representing footwear manufacturers globally. Primary focus is producing the tradeshows: The New York Shoe Expo and the FFANY Collections FFANY is committed to philanthropy by “giving back” to its members and the footwear industry

First Sale- a limitation on copyright that was recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1908 and subsequently codified in the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 109. The doctrine allows the purchaser to transfer (i.e., sell or give away) a particular lawfully made copy of the copyrighted work without permission once it has been obtained. That means that a copyright holder's rights to control the change of ownership of a particular copy end once that copy is sold, as long as no additional copies are made. This doctrine is also referred to as the "first sale rule" or "exhaustion rule"

Lead- a soft, malleable poor metal, also considered to be one of the heavy metals

Lead Levels- the quantity of lead found in products, regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

Lead Testing- process of testing products for safe lead levels in consumer products

NRF (National Retail Federation)- the world's largest retail trade association, representing over 100 state, national and international retail associations. Under NRF's retail umbrella, sit 4 association groups including: the Association for Retail Technology Standards, the National Council of Chain Restaurants, the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association and Shop.org

Phthalates- esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility). They are chiefly used to soften polyvinyl chloride. Phthalates are being phased out of many products in the United States and European Union over health concerns

PVC- polyvinyl chloride, (IUPAC Polychloroethene) a widely used thermoplastic polymer. As a building material, PVC is cheap, durable, and easy to assemble. In recent years, PVC has been replacing traditional building materials such as wood, concrete and clay in many areas. The use of non-PVC materials has been on the rise due to concerns about the environmental and toxicity characteristics of PVC

Rubber Outsole- the bottom portion of a shoe; rubber is often used in Work and Casual Shoes

SATRA- the world’s leading research and technology centre.  SATRA was formed in 1919 to serve the footwear industry but has since expanded to serve other consumer industry sectors including furniture, safety products, clothing, floorcoverings, leathergoods and fabric care

Solvent- a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution

USPTO- United States Patent and Trademark Office

Vulcanized- a specific curing process of rubber involving high heat and the addition of sulfur or other equivalent curatives, making the bulk material harder, much more durable and also more resistant to chemical attack. It also makes the surface of the material smoother and prevents it from sticking to metal or plastic chemical catalysts

Wet Blue Foxing- chrome tanned leather. Chrome tanning creates a blue color in the leather and there is a natural safe resting stage just after tanning when the leather is both wet and blue.  A significant stage in which leather is traded semi-processed worldwide