On March 28, 2025, AAFA's leadership, including President Steve Lamar and policy senior vice president Nate Herman, publicly voiced concerns over the termination of over $500m ILAB contracts that were designed to enforce labour standards internationally. Citing the adverse impact on American workers and businesses, AAFA signed a group letter to the US Secretary of Labor urging the reinstatement of key contracts, including one related to Uzbek cotton, arguing that the cancellation creates an uneven playing field in global labour practices.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association warned that the Trump administration’s elimination of ILAB grants—funding initiatives to combat child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking—will create an uneven playing field for U.S. apparel and footwear businesses, potentially undermining international labor standards and fair supply-chain practices.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association issued a statement on March 26, 2025, expressing alarm at the U.S. Department of Labor's decision to cancel contracts—including the Global Better Work Program and Better Work Global—that were designed to improve working conditions. This reaction appears to align with broader industry concerns over regulatory policies that enhance labor rights.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) and the Fair Labor Association (FLA) re-launched and enhanced their Commitment to Responsible Recruitment, reinforcing ethical labor practices for migrant workers in the apparel and footwear supply chain. The renewed pact focuses on ensuring that workers are not subjected to forced labor practices, are not required to pay recruitment fees, and receive timely refunds for any costs incurred, thereby strengthening protections for vulnerable migrant labor.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association, in partnership with the Fair Labor Association, re-launched and enhanced the Commitment to Responsible Recruitment to improve protections for migrant workers, ensuring that workers are not charged recruitment fees and maintain control over their documents.

AAFA, along with NRF, RILA, and USFIA, issued a joint statement on December 2, 2020, in response to US enforcement actions regulating XPCC cotton imports from Xinjiang. The statement condemns forced labor and underscores a commitment to ethical supply chain practices and human rights, while supporting government initiatives against oppressive labor practices.

On March 10, 2020, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, along with industry partners, issued a joint statement condemning forced labor practices in Xinjiang, emphasizing the need for robust, multi-stakeholder government engagement and ethical supply chain reform.

AAFA, in collaboration with the Fair Labor Association, helped initiate the AAFA/FLA Apparel & Footwear Industry Commitment to Responsible Recruitment. Signed by 123 apparel and footwear companies on October 22, 2018, the initiative aims to combat forced labor risks and ensure fair recruitment practices for migrant workers in global supply chains.