U.S. government wants to revitalize textile and apparel industry to promote local employment

At the London Olympics, the production of uniforms for the US Olympic team by the Chinese garment factory caused a great uproar in the local industry. Although the design was borne by Ralph Lauren, a well-known American brand, the absence of “Made in America” apparel on the international stage has caused regret to the American textile and apparel industry. In order to speed up the recovery of the U.S. economy, procurement of U.S.-manufactured textiles has been put on the agenda of the manufacturing industry’s return to the United States.

At the recent textile and garment industry procurement conference held in Las Vegas, USA, the topic of the “U.S.-made apparel and homeware procurement strategy” initiated by Karen Kane, a US fashion designer, became a seminar. Focus. Kane said that although the U.S. government advocates the re-establishment of the manufacturing system for the textile and garment industry, in the current period when "price is king" and "fast fashion" have become the characteristics of the consumer market, U.S. clothing companies that can shoulder the production of high-end products cannot. Really mobilize the production enthusiasm of low-end products. Affected by many other factors, the reconstruction of the U.S. manufacturing industry, especially the textile and clothing industry, is not an easy task.

The government intends to revitalize the manufacturing industry

At present, U.S. President Barack Obama has begun to consider rebuilding the U.S. manufacturing industry, and he strongly supports the U.S. House Democrats’ proposal for a U.S.-made return. He also believes that the recovery of consumer demand is also conducive to the reconstruction of the U.S. manufacturing industry. People in the industry pointed out that if the appeal and momentum of 'Made in the USA' are still strong after a few years, most of the US’s discontinued manufacturing plants will meet market demand and will be willing to operate again.

The United States is one of the most important apparel consumer markets in the world, but it does not have a garment manufacturing industry that matches its consumer demand. Economists pointed out that the current US clothing consumption and production scale have formed a very inequitable relationship. At the end of the Second World War, the United States had the world's largest garment manufacturing industry. However, the production of US domestic companies today can only meet the market's 3% demand. While looking at the world, no country has a clothing import ratio of more than 97%. The market share of locally produced American textile and apparel products needs to be improved.

Those in the industry who support the U.S. to rebuild the manufacturing industry believe that this move will create more job opportunities, especially in the current economic downturn. Julia Hughes, president of the USA-ITAC, believes that the government’s reconstruction policy is “realistic” because a large number of American immigrants lacking advanced skills will have job opportunities. Hughes said that the reconstruction of the U.S. apparel manufacturing industry has received support from the U.S. government, industry agencies, local groups in Los Angeles and New York. At the procurement meeting, Hughes proposed a planned database search of textile and apparel manufacturers and suppliers in the United States to help U.S. companies reach agreements with partners in the field, and the proposal that helps retailers to purchase U.S. products was unanimously approved.

The road to the textile industry's return

The problem that everyone can't avoid is that most of the fabrics used in the United States to make high-end clothing rely on imports. Hughes said that due to the lack of textile yarns and fabrics, in the short term, the status quo of most apparel imports in the United States will not change. Moreover, the decades-long policy of “restricting quotas and high taxes” in the United States and the preference of apparel buyers for low-cost labor-producing companies have forced many local manufacturers to become accustomed to turning to overseas markets.

Kane said that although US companies have the ability to complete tailoring and sewing processes in China, manufacturers will have to be unable to quickly implement short-cycle production models that include raw material purchases, investment planning, and even consumer purchase methods. For US manufacturers, production in other low-cost, high-returning Southeast Asian countries is clearly more attractive than rebuilding domestic industries.

In order to promote the import of textiles, in August this year, the United States has agreed to extend the "AGOA" deadline again. The preferential measures for textile and apparel commodities will continue into 2015. According to this article, AGOA provides more than 6,000 kinds of goods to 38 countries south of sub-Saharan Africa, and offers preferential tariff-free access to the U.S. market. Textiles and apparel can use third domestic yarn raw materials for processing. The introduction of this clause largely ensures the supply of U.S. upstream textiles. In addition, the U.S. government is also strengthening the ability to cultivate innovation in textile companies. Cass Johnson, chairman of the National Association of Textile Manufacturers (NCTO), said that in the past three years, the US textile industry has invested more than 3 billion U.S. dollars, including the construction of a new factory in the U.S. to produce the world's most innovative yarn. Line and fabric.

"Buy U.S. cargo" bill or catalyst

In addition to actively supporting the development of the textile and apparel industry, the U.S. government has recently introduced a new measure with a view to using mandatory regulations to promote the government’s purchase of U.S. goods, which in turn drives the industry’s recovery. The bill, the "Wear American Act," proposes that 51% of the current federal government's procurement of clothing products must be made in the United States, and that all US government agencies must procure 100% of US-made products when purchasing textile and garment products. commodity.

Sherrod Brown, a senator from Ohio, United States, said that due to multiple factors, the manufacturing industry in the US, including the textile and clothing industries, has long been transferred overseas. The U.S. government should purchase as much as possible the clothing products made in the United States. Johnson, chairman of the American National Textile Association, added that the use of "Made in the USA" brand products should be indispensable for American citizens and the rest of the world on behalf of the United States, both in sports fields and in federal procurement. a part of. The timing of the "Wear American Act" proposed at this time is an opportunity. The rising demand for textile and apparel products made in the United States is expected to stimulate the return of the industry.