A global textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturers’ initiative has published a White Paper on Commercial Compliance.

Led by the STAR Network, the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and the Better Buying Institute, the initiative is supported by GIZ Fabric and consists of 13 industry associations from nine countries facing similar challenges regarding purchasing practices in the textile and garment industry. Through a process of consultation, these associations have now jointly agreed on the text of the white paper that is published today. This marks the first joint manufacturers’ position on the improvement of purchasing practices.

The white paper establishes commercial compliance as a leading principle for the manufacturer’s perspective on the improvement of purchasing practices. STTI defines it as ‘purchasing practices that do not cause obvious and avoidable harm to manufacturers’. The white paper lists ‘key recommendations’, defining what purchasing practices manufacturers consider to be breaches of their definition of commercial compliance. The associations participating in the initiative recognize that the breaches of these key recommendations seriously impair their ability to run a commercially viable business, let alone to contribute to stronger and more sustainable supply chains.