NCTO Welcomes Administration’s Inclusion of Finished Apparel & Textile Products on China Tariff List

Washington, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber though finished sewn products, issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Trade Representative Office’s (USTR) announcement regarding the next steps for the proposed 10 percent tariff on approximately $300 billion of Chinese imports.  NCTO testified most recently on June 20, urging the administration to move forward with tariffs on finished apparel and home textile products.

“As U.S. manufacturers that have suffered enormously from China’s illegal IPR activities and state-sponsored export subsidies, we strongly support the administration’s decision to move forward with this next tranche of 301 retaliatory tariffs that will finally cover a significant portion of China’s exports in our sector,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

She continued: “We also believe that the inclusion of products that are within significant Chinese employment sectors like finished apparel, will substantially increase the administration’s negotiating leverage with the Chinese to address systemic trade reforms that are needed. Any such settlement must include short-and long-term reforms that eliminate China’s predatory trade practices in key industrial sectors across the board, such as textiles and apparel.

We are at a critical juncture in terms of global economic trading patterns.  The current trade negotiations with China offer the best opportunity in a generation to restore fairness and market- based competitiveness to a system that has been overwhelmed by China’s illegal and state-planned effort to dominate global manufacturing.

While we are pleased with today’s announced action, we remain concerned that certain inputs already vetted by the administration and removed from previous retaliatory tariff lists remain on this list for proposed duties. We have long argued that adding tariffs on imports of manufacturing inputs that are not made in the U.S. in effect raises the cost for American companies. We urge the administration to uphold these previous exclusions. We also continue to request that the administration include de minimis shipments below $800 on the retaliatory list. The provision creates a significant loophole at a time when the administration is seeking to address China’s unfair trade practices.”

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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NCTO Board Member and Auburn Manufacturing Inc. President and CEO Kathie Leonard Named to Ex-Im Bank Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON, DC – NCTO Board member and President and CEO of Auburn Manufacturing Inc. Kathie Leonard was appointed to serve as the U.S. textile industry representative on the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) 2019 Advisory Committee.

Auburn Manufacturing Inc. is a woman-owned manufacturer based in Mechanic Falls, Maine, producing heat-and fire-resistant textiles used worldwide by industries like ship building/repair, foundries, mining, aerospace, power generation and many other heat-intensive industries.

Leonard started the company in 1979 and over the past 40 years has worked tirelessly to build Auburn Manufacturing into a leader in its field, turning 1.5 million pounds of fiber per year into over 2 million yards of fabric.

On both the state and national level, Leonard lends her voice to issues affecting the textile industry, ranging from global trade policy to regulatory issues.

In her role on the Bank’s Advisory Committee, she will provide recommendations on export financing products to the Ex-Im Board of Directors and the Bank’s President.

“Kathie is such a tremendous asset to our industry,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas. “We are pleased the Ex-Im Board has selected Kathie to serve on its Advisory Committee. She will be the voice of the industry at the table and help support the U.S. textile industry, which has seen a significant increase in its exports, particularly to the Western Hemisphere.”

Leonard said: “I’m very pleased to be appointed to EX-IM’s Advisory Committee. As a small U.S. textile manufacturer, we know first-hand how important EX-IM’s financing program is to building sustainable sales relationships around the world.”

 “I look forward to being able to provide feedback to the Board on behalf of the textile industry and the small business sector.” 

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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NCTO supports President Trump’s announced plan to impose a 10% tariff on $300B of Chinese imports

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber through finished sewn products, welcomes President Trump’s announcement today that he will impose a 10% tariff on the remaining $300 billion of imports from China on September 1.

The U.S. textile industry has long supported the administration’s efforts to crack down on China’s abuse of intellectual property rights through the use of the Section 301 mechanism, while also calling on the administration to include finished apparel and home furnishings in any retaliatory tariffs against China.

Chinese imports of finished goods into the U.S. market, which have had the most significant impact and disruption on domestic textile and apparel production, investment and jobs, will finally be included in the administration’s retaliatory tariffs.

“China’s rampant abuse of intellectual property rights and IP theft has gone on far too long at the direct expense of the U.S. textile industry and its supply chain, resulting in the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs in this critical sector,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“We have long encouraged the administration to include finished products on the tariff list, given China’s rampant intellectual property abuses and the significant impact it has had on our sector.”

Underscoring the penetration by China into the U.S. market, finished apparel, home furnishings and other made-up textile goods equate to 93.5 percent of U.S. imports from China in our sector, while fiber, yarn and fabric imports from China only represent 6.5 percent.

“We believe this move will lead to more re-shoring of production to the United States and the Western Hemisphere production platform—and will also address and mitigate China’s rampant trade distortions,” Glas said.

While we support the inclusion of finished products in Tranche 4 of the retaliatory tariffs, our industry has very serious concerns that certain inputs already vetted by the administration and removed from previous retaliatory tariff lists are on this list. These inputs include but are not limited to: machinery, dyes and chemicals and textile components not available domestically, like rayon staple fiber.

Lastly, we are continuing to urge the administration to apply the 301 retaliatory tariffs to de minimis shipments below $800, which are not currently subject to the tariffs. The administration should close this substantial loophole as part of its efforts to address China’s unfair trade practices.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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NCTO Announces Winner of the 2019 Paul T. O’Day Memorial Scholarship

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organization’s (NCTO) Fiber Council announces Ms. Reagan Dunnam, of Florence, SC as the recipient of the 2019 Paul T. O’Day Scholarship Award.  She is the daughter of Jennifer Dunnam, who works for Fiber Industries LLC, and Robert Dunnam.

Ms. Dunnam graduated in June with high honors from West Florence High School.  She will pursue a major in Fashion and Textile Management at NC State University this fall. 

NCTO Fiber Council Chairman David Poston, President of Palmetto Synthetics LLC, commented, “We are pleased to recognize Ms. Dunnam’s exceptional record of academic achievements with her selection as the 2019 recipient of the Paul T. O’Day Memorial Scholarship.  All of us on the Fiber Council congratulate Ms. Dunnam and wish her continued success in her academic career.”

The scholarship program was created in 2014 in honor of Paul T. O’Day who served as President of the American Fiber Manufacturers Association (AFMA) for more than three decades. The Association merged with the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) in April 2018, and NCTO’s Fiber Council now administers the scholarship program.  Recipients receive a $5,000 award each year, totaling $20,000 for four years of study.  Sons or daughters of NCTO’s Fiber Council member company employees are eligible to apply.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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NCTO Applauds Senate Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2020

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) commends the Senate for passing the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2020, which strengthens the Berry Amendment and safeguards our national security, by setting compliance requirements to all Department of Defense acquisitions at or above $150,000.

The Senate bill rolls back the threshold for Berry compliance requirements to 2017 levels and adjusts future increases for inflation, which the U.S. textile industry supports.

The Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA bill raised the Simplified Acquisition Threshold to $250,000. The higher threshold put more than $50 million worth of Berry contracts annually at risk of being outsourced to China and other foreign countries.

“We are really pleased the Senate passed the NDAA, which strengthens the Berry Amendment, a provision that is critical to the U.S. textile industry,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“Berry provides the U.S. military with high-quality textile and apparel products that are produced with 100% U.S. materials and labor. It also helps keep the industrial base strong and provides the best R&D, materials, and equipment for our warfighters,” Glas said. “We also urge the House to follow the Senate’s lead and take similar action to strengthen our national industrial base.”

“Without the Berry Amendment in place, defense-related activities are at risk if supply chains are filled with imports of undocumented origin,” said Kathie Leonard, President and CEO of Auburn Manufacturing Inc., a small manufacturer of fire-resistant fabrics based in Mechanic Falls, Maine.

“Our ability to continue supplying 100% domestically produced products to the military is contingent upon a reasonable Berry threshold.  The minimum was raised from $50K to $150K several years ago.  Last year it jumped to $250K, leaving us with only 15% of the defense market we serve,” Leonard said.

Ashley Bullock, Government Contract Sales Manager for Raeford Uniforms, a division of Burlington Industries, said: “Passage of the NDAA along with the continued support of the Berry Amendment are critical for Burlington and our ongoing support to the U.S. military and our men and women in uniform.  As a proud part of the military’s clothing and textile supply chain, Burlington Industries, an Elevate Textiles Company, relies on the Berry Amendment to maintain our current operations in North and South Carolina and our ability to make continual investment to ensure the U.S. warfighter has the most innovative, highest-quality, and technologically advanced clothing and equipment possible.  Correcting the Berry Amendment’s threshold level is a major and positive step in protecting this important law from being watered down. “

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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(202) 684-3091

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NCTO President & CEO Kim Glas Testifies at U.S. Trade Representative’s Hearing on Proposed 301 Tariff List

WASHINGTON, DC – National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas is testifying at a public hearing today in support of the administration’s efforts to crack down on China’s abuse of intellectual property rights through the use of the Section 301 mechanism, while also calling on the administration to include finished apparel and home furnishings in any retaliatory tariffs against China.

Glas is joining several other NCTO member companies today to testify at a U.S. Trade Representative hearing as part of the administration’s consideration of the Tranche 4 of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports from China.

“If the United States truly wants to resolve China’s rampant IPR abuse, pillar sectors of the Chinese economy will need to be included on the 301-retaliation list,” Glas said in prepared remarks for today’s USTR hearing. “Leaving sectors that are highly sensitive within China’s economy off the list has actually weakened U.S. leverage throughout the negotiating process, delaying a long overdue remedy to this systemic trade problem.”

“To effectively respond to China’s predatory practices in our sector, we believe the administration needs to address the exports from China that are disrupting our market and distorting trade: exports of end items to the United States,” Glas said.

Finished apparel, home furnishings and other made-up textile goods equate to 93.5 percent of U.S. imports from China in our sector, while fiber, yarn and fabric imports from China only represent 6.5 percent, according to government data.

NCTO is “pleased the proposed Tranche 4 includes finished imported items from China, which have the most significant impact on U.S. employment, production and investment,” Glas said.

“We believe this move will lead to the re-shoring of production to the United States and the Western Hemisphere production platform—and will also address and mitigate China’s rampant trade distortions,” she added.

However, Glas said the industry has serious concerns that certain inputs “already vetted by the administration and removed from previous retaliatory tariff lists are back on this list for proposed duties. These inputs include but are not limited to: machinery, dyes and chemicals and textile components not available domestically, like rayon staple fiber.”

“Adding tariffs on imports of manufacturing inputs that are not made in the U.S. in effect raises the cost for American companies and makes them less competitive with China,” Glas said, calling for the earlier exclusion reviews to be upheld. In addition, Glas also urged the U.S. government to institute a fair, transparent and expeditious exclusion system for all retaliation tranches.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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CONTACT: Kristi Ellis

(202) 684-3091

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NCTO & Member Companies Testify at U.S. International Trade Commission Hearing on Proposed 301 Tariff List

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and several of its member companies are set to testify at the U.S. Trade Representative’s nearly two-week long hearing on the proposed Section 301 tariff list as part of the administration’s ongoing review and consideration of the Tranche 4 of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports from China.

Daniel Nation, Director of Government Relations for Parkdale Mills, a member of NCTO, will kick ff the U.S. textile industry’s testimony on the first day of the hearing.

China’s rampant abuse of intellectual property rights and intellectual property theft has spanned decades at the direct expense of the U.S. textile industry and its supply chain, largely contributing to the U.S. trade deficit with China in textile and apparel products—totaling $46.5 billion in 2018—and the loss of 1 million manufacturing jobs in this critical sector.

“There is little doubt that China’s extreme position in the global textile and apparel marketplace has been advanced by an elaborate system of illegal practices, that include state sponsored subsidies, unethical labor and environmental practices and theft of intellectual property,” Nation said in prepared remarks for today’s USTR hearing. “Consequently, Parkdale supports the existing Section 301 case against China.”

However, Nation stressed the effectiveness of the administration’s case has been “greatly diminished through the omission” of finished textile and apparel products from the various retaliatory tariff lists.

“Including finished textile and apparel products on the 301 retaliation list would greatly enhance the administration’s leverage in the ongoing negotiations and help redirect trade in this sector to the Western Hemisphere,” Nation said. The Western Hemisphere is a top export market for the U.S. textile industry, representing $15.7 million in textile and apparel exports.

“NCTO is pleased the proposed Tranche 4 includes finished imported items from China, which have the most significant impact on U.S. employment, production and investment,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas, who is scheduled to testify at the hearing on June 20. “We believe this move will lead to the re-shoring of production to the United States and the Western Hemisphere production platform.  It’s critical we address and mitigate China’s rampant trade distortions.”

“While NCTO members support the inclusion of finished products in Tranche 4, we are seriously concerned that certain inputs already vetted by the administration and removed from previous retaliatory tariff lists are back on this list for proposed duties,” Glas noted. “Adding tariffs on imports of manufacturing inputs that are not made in the U.S. such as certain chemicals, dyes, machinery and rayon staple fiber in effect raises the cost for American companies and makes them less competitive with China.  We firmly believe the integrity of the earlier exclusion process should be upheld.”

“We also urge the U.S. government to institute a fair, transparent and expeditious exclusion system for all retaliation tranches,” Glas added.

“Lastly, we want to flag that the administration’s 301 efforts are being undermined by shipments under the $800 Section 321 de minimis threshold, which are not subject to the retaliatory tariffs – or any tariffs.  Section 321 is a substantial and growing loophole that gives China backdoor duty-free access to the U.S. market at a time when the administration is spearheading efforts to address China’s unfair trade practices,” Glas said.  “This should be rectified both in the 301 and broader context.”

NCTO and its member companies are strongly encouraging the USTR’s office and President Trump to adopt the following recommendations:

  • enact the proposed 25% penalty tariffs on finished apparel items and other sewn products;
  • maintain the previous product input exemptions that were vetted by the U.S. government and granted and excluded from previous tranches;
  • institute a transparent, fair and expeditious exclusion system for all tranches;
  • and apply 301 retaliatory tariffs to Section 321 de minimis shipments.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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CONTACT: Kristi Ellis

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NCTO Raises Serious Concerns over the Administration’s Plan to Impose Tariffs on Mexico

WASHINGTON, DC – Kim Glas, President & CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), issued the following statement today in response to the administration’s decision under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to assess penalty duties on Mexico as an attempt to address the growing immigration dispute on the U.S. southern border.  The proposed 5% increase would begin on June 10 and incrementally increase to 25%, if the dispute is not resolved.

The magnitude of the trading relationship with Mexico is significant for the U.S. textile industry, representing $12.2 billion in two-way textile and apparel trade in 2018. The U.S. textile industry alone exported $4.7 billion in yarn and fabrics to Mexico last year and had a net export surplus of $3.8 billion.

As a result, Mexico is the single largest market for U.S.-made textile exports.

“We are very concerned about the impact these proposed tariffs would have on a critical and integrated supply chain for the U.S. and Mexico textile and apparel industries. Under the NAFTA agreement, the U.S. has benefited as a result of strong rules of origin that require the use of regional yarns and fabrics. As a result, the U.S. industry has made significant investment—$22.8 billion from 2006 to 2017—to help grow the manufacturing of fiber, yarns, and fabrics in the United States. NCTO supports the passage of the pending U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) because it is a critical trade agreement that will strengthen the industry’s supply chain representing approximately $20 billion in three-way trade,” Glas said.

“Adding tariffs to Mexican apparel imports, which largely contain U.S. textile inputs, would significantly disrupt this industry and jeopardize jobs on both sides of the border,” Glas said. “And as a result, it will accelerate substantially the immigration issues the administration is seeking to address.”

“In addition, this tariff increase would give a significant competitive advantage to China, which already accounts for about 38% of apparel and textile imports to the U.S.” Glas added. “In fact, if this increase goes forward it will drive business back to China at a time when the administration is trying to crack down on intellectual property abuses and make systemic trade reforms that have undermined U.S. manufacturing industries for decades. This proposal is extremely concerning to U.S. textile manufacturers and we will do all we can to amplify these concerns with the administration and members of Congress.”

Mexico and Canada together are the U.S. textile industry’s two largest export markets worldwide. In 2018, the U.S. ran a combined $3.8 billion surplus in textiles and apparel with those two North American Free Trade Agreement trading partners.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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NCTO Comments on 301 Tariff Increase; Renews Call for Tariffs on Textile and Apparel End Items and Need for...

May 8, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) appreciates the Trump administration’s action to crack down on unfair trade practices from China through the Section 301 mechanism.  

A Federal Register notice, set to be published on Thursday, states the administration’s intent to raise tariffs on $200 billion of imported Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent on May 10. NCTO urges the administration to ensure an expeditious and transparent exclusion process and the inclusion of finished apparel and textile end products to this remedy.

“It’s long past time we address China’s unfair trade practices, particularly relating to intellectual property abuses,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“However, we remain very concerned that finished Chinese textile home furnishings and apparel are not on the administration’s retaliatory tariff list,” Glas said. “Chinese imports of finished goods into the U.S. market have the most significant impact on domestic textile and apparel production, investment and jobs. In order to address the crisis, we need to get to the very heart of the problem.”

According to U.S. government data, China predominantly ships end items to the U.S. versus intermediate inputs. Finished apparel, textile home furnishings and other made-up textile goods equate to 93.5 percent of U.S. imports from China in our sector, while fiber, yarn, and fabric imports from China represent only 6.5 percent.  

“NCTO also remains seriously concerned that some inputs critical to the competitiveness of U.S. textile manufacturers remain on the retaliation list and will now face a 25 percent tariff. Duty increases on inputs alone, without addressing the growing problem of end products can raise the cost of U.S. textile manufacturers trying to compete with like Chinese products,” Glas said. “We are pleased that the administration intends to announce an exclusion process and we urge that the process be fair, transparent, and expeditious.”

For more on this issue, see: NCTO Testimony to the Section 301 Committee on August 20, 2018

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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(202) 684-3091

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NCTO Announces New VP of Communications and Director of Regulatory & Technical Affairs

April 29, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristi Ellis as the organization’s new Vice President of Communications, effective April 29, 2019, and Donald Vavala as the Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, effective May 2019.

As Vice President of Communications at NCTO, Kristi Ellis will assume responsibility for developing, overseeing, and implementing a communications strategy for the association and the domestic textile industry as a whole. Ms. Ellis brings 24 years of manufacturing and international trade reporting experience with leading publications such as Women’s Wear Daily and S&P Global Market Intelligence. The majority of her career, which includes nearly 10 years as Washington Bureau Chief for Women’s Wear Daily, has been spent reporting on textile trade policy matters. Regarding her appointment, Ms. Ellis said, “I am really excited and grateful to have the opportunity to help develop and shape NCTO’s communications strategy as we work to amplify the textile industry’s importance as a thriving and innovative manufacturing sector in the United States.”

As NCTO’s Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, Don Vavala will support all association activities related to federal government procurement and industry regulatory matters. In this capacity, Mr. Vavala will staff various NCTO committees covering a broad spectrum of contracting, technical, and environmental issues. Mr. Vavala comes to NCTO following a 31-year career at W.L. Gore, a NCTO member organization, where he most recently held the position of Director, Military Government Affairs. He will succeed Hardy Poole, who announced his resignation from the same position at NCTO, effective May 2019. Regarding his appointment, Mr. Vavala stated, “I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Ms. Glas and the staff at NCTO. The textile industry is a major component of the economic backbone of this great nation and I look forward to applying my 31 years of experience to insuring that the industry continues to thrive and maintain its status as a significant contributor to our country’s growth and prosperity.”

The hiring of Ms. Ellis and Mr. Vavala coincide with the arrival of Kimberly Glas as NCTO’s President & CEO, effective April 29, 2019. In referencing these two new hires, Ms. Glas stated, “I am excited Kristi and Don are joining the NCTO team at this important time. They both have significant experience with the textile industry and a wealth of knowledge specific to their new roles. Most importantly, both have shown a strong commitment to the success of the domestic textile industry. We are very fortunate to have them join the organization in these pivotal leadership roles. NCTO’s membership will be well served by these important staff additions.”

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

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CONTACT: Rebecca Tantillo

(202) 822-8026

www.ncto.org

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