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U.S. Textile Executives Raise Concern Over Department of Veterans Affairs’ Lack of Compliance with Legislation Mandating the Purchase of...

September 21, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and member companies issued a statement today, sounding the alarm over the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) lack of compliance to date with legislation mandating the purchase of domestically-produced PPE.

NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas commended the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs’ (HVAC) Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations for holding a hearing on “VA Procurement: Made in America.”

The Make PPE in America Act, which took effect in February 2022, requires that all PPE purchased by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and VA be made by manufacturers in the United States using domestic components.

“I applaud the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations for scrutinizing the VA’s compliance with the Make PPE in America Act. It is alarming that this key federal agency has not yet complied with the underlying provisions of the law or provided a demand signal for the procurement of more American-made PPE. That inaction has left the vital domestic textile and apparel supply chain—the very industry that retooled production lines to produce desperately needed PPE during the pandemic—with idled capacity, financial losses and closures,” Glas said.

“The VA and all federal agencies need to fully implement this law immediately. It is critical to the viability of the domestic PPE supply chain and to our nation’s long-term health and national security. Without the commitment, our manufacturers will be forced to shutter operations and the PPE domestic supply chain will disappear, leaving our country overly reliant once again on unreliable imports from China and other foreign suppliers,” Glas added.

Norman Chapman, president and CEO of Inman Mills, a South Carolina-based yarn manufacturer and weaver, said: “The Department of Veterans Affairs’ lack of compliance with the Make PPE in America Act to date has essentially cast aside proven American-made goods in favor of cheap foreign goods from an unreliable and often unfriendly supply chain, costing our company and others millions of dollars, and disincentivizing future calls to rush in to help.”

“We invested in the expansion of PPE production at our facilities based on the promise of a consistent domestic market due to the passing of the Make PPE in America Act,” said Marisa Fumei-South, chief operating officer at Two One Two New York. “That promise, however, has not been upheld, as the Department of Veterans Affairs has failed to issue contracts and make wide-scale purchases of domestically-produced PPE, as required by the Make PPE in America Act. The failure to comply with key elements of this legislation has had a significant financial impact on our business, in favor of cheap foreign goods from unreliable chains—as the COVID pandemic exposed.”

“We were able to boast over 1 million yards of elastic per week during the peak of the pandemic demand from our humble factory,” said Adolfo Solorzano Z., general manager of American Elastic & Tape, a Florida based textile producer. “During that time, we proved that we could create American jobs, produce at competitive prices, and pay a decent wage. However, the struggle now lies when our clients are still sitting on inventory that is not circulating because organizations like the VA are not complying with simple requirements in the Make PPE in America Act. Without consistent demand, jobs are lost, shifts are cut, profits are diminished and the path for Asian dependence is laid forth once again for another generation.”

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 538,067 in 2022.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.8 billion in 2022.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $34 billion in 2022.
  • Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

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CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.684.3091

Sep 21, 2023 Comments (0) Press Releases

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Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles, Dr. Laurie-Ann Agama, Tours U.S. Textile Industry; Participates in Industry Roundtable

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dr. Laurie-Ann Agama, Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for Textiles, wrapped up a three-day visit of state-of-the art U.S. textile manufacturing facilities in North and South Carolina today, highlighting the importance of trade policies that bolster the competitiveness of the vibrant domestic supply chain that contributes significantly to the U.S. economy and workforce.

Dr. Agama, who advises the nation’s top trade chief on textile and apparel trade policy matters and conducts and oversees negotiations affecting textiles and apparel products, was joined by USTR textile trade officials in touring seven textile manufacturers including: Glen Raven, Barnet, Standard Textile, Parkdale Mills, Beverly Knits, Gildan, and Unifi.

Her three-day tour culminated today in an industry roundtable discussion with key textile executives hosted by Unifi, in Greensboro, N.C.

U.S. textile executives spanning the fiber, yarn, fabric, and finished product textile and apparel industries participated in the roundtable and outlined critical policies, such as: the importance of maintaining the yarn forward rule of origin in the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and other trade agreements; advancing the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) and its importance to domestic manufacturers; closing the de minimis loophole in U.S. trade law; addressing larger systemic trade issues, particularly the use of forced labor, with China; and upholding buy American and Berry Amendment government procurement policies.

“We deeply appreciate Assistant USTR Agama’s visit to the heart of the U.S. textile industry in North and South Carolina this week to meet with U.S. textile executives and experience first-hand the breadth of the industry’s innovation, advanced sustainability practices, capital investments and critical contributions to local economies and the U.S. economy as a whole,” said Kim Glas, president and CEO of NCTO. “The three-day visit by Dr. Agama and the USTR textile team included facility tours of several NCTO member companies, all of which have made major investments in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities that are part of a broader domestic industry supply chain that produced $65.8 billion in output in 2022 and employed 538,000 workers.”

Glas continued: “We are also grateful for Dr. Agama’s participation in the industry roundtable hosted by Unifi and substantive discussions around policy opportunities and challenges. We look forward to working closely with Dr. Agama, the USTR textile team and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai to advance policies that provide incentives for onshoring and nearshoring production and bolstering the industry’s competitiveness, while enforcing policies that address illegal trade practices that undermine this industry.”

“The U.S. textile industry has always been resilient, innovative, and a driving force of our nation’s competitiveness,” said Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles Dr. Laurie-Ann Agama. “For USTR, this local engagement and conversations underscore our need to create trade policies that put workers first and promote inclusive economic growth. The spinning, knitting, and weaving operations of the textile industry are at the center of many communities across the Carolinas. This was another opportunity to hear first-hand how we trade can create jobs that allow workers, businesses, and communities to thrive”. 

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 538,067 in 2022.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.8 billion in 2022.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $34 billion in 2022.
  • Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

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CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.684.3091

Jun 7, 2023 Comments (0) Press Releases, Recent News

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NCTO Member Auburn Manufacturing Hosts Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer Knight, Highlights Maine Manufacturers & U.S. Textile Industry’s Competitiveness

May 17, 2023

WASHINGTON – Today, National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) member Auburn Manufacturing Inc.(AMI) – an industry leader in the manufacture of advanced textiles for extreme-heat environments—hosted Jennifer Knight, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, Materials Industries, Critical Minerals and Metals with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, at the company’s state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Auburn, Maine.

A Maine textile manufacturer with over four decades of experience, AMI is a leading producer of fire-and heat-resistant materials, manufacturing the most advanced products to meet U.S. safety standards. AMI textiles are used as protection from extreme high heat in mining, shipbuilding, steelmaking and other critical industries. The company also manufactures end-use products, including a patented, modular removable insulation kit.

During the visit and tour of AMI’s facilities, AMI CEO Kathie Leonard highlighted the company’s important textile innovations and vitally important products that help fuel the Maine economy and contribute to the broader U.S. textile and apparel industry which produced $65.8 billion in output in 2022 and employed 538,000 workers.

Leonard also discussed policy priorities that have far-reaching implications for AMI, Maine manufacturers and the entire U.S. textile industry. She outlined the importance of policies directed at holding China accountable for unfair trade practices and the dumping of products on the U.S. market. Leonard also emphasized the importance of maintaining a domestic textile and apparel supply chain, enforcing “Buy American” policies in government procurement, and closing a legal loophole in U.S. trade law that continues to undermine American manufacturing and give China an advantage. Earlier this year, AMI once again spurred federal action against China, with the Commerce Department officially scrutinizing Chinese exports of silica fabric to the U.S. market.

“We were honored to host Deputy Secretary Jennifer Knight at our Auburn plant,” said Leonard. “It gave us an opportunity to not only showcase AMI’s incredibly advanced technologies, innovation and dedicated workforce but to also discuss firsthand trade policies that impact our daily operations. AMI and this entire industry have weathered severe challenges over the past three years, due to the pandemic, and ongoing pressure from China’s unfair trade practices, but we remain resilient. We appreciated the opportunity to showcase how AMI and the industry can prosper with this kind of collaboration with trade officials like Ms. Knight and the federal government as a whole.”

“SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] are the backbone of the U.S. economy and it was my privilege to visit AMI, a state-of-the-art woman-owned U.S. manufacturer which employs 50 and exports its products to more than 30 countries,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Knight. “ITA’s mission directly supports the strength and resilience of our domestic textile industry by strengthening the global competitiveness of American companies through exports and safeguarding both U.S. industry and workers against unfair trade practices through the rigorous enforcement of trade laws and agreements.”

AMI, an industry leader in the manufacture of advanced textiles for extreme-heat environments, is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise, operating in two manufacturing facilities located in both Mechanic Falls and Auburn, Maine, and employing over 50 people.

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

·   U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 538,067 in 2022.

·   The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.8 billion in 2022.

·   U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $34 billion in 2022.

·   Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

To schedule an interview with AMI, please contact Luka Ladan at Luka.Ladan@ZenicaPR.com or (617) 932-9120. For more information, please visit AuburnMFG.com.

NCTO CONTACT: Kristi Ellis

(202) 684-3091

www.ncto.org

May 17, 2023 Comments (0) Press Releases, Uncategorized

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Bipartisan Group of 38 Lawmakers Sends Letter to Secretary of Commerce Urging Support of Strong CAFTA-DR Rules of Origin...

WASHINGTON –A bipartisan group of 38 lawmakers sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urging her support of the current rules of origin in the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) that are working to spur significant investment and employment in the region.

The lawmakers also warned that attempts by certain importers to amend the rules would open the back door to China and significantly harm investment in the U.S. -CAFTA region and the vibrant textile and apparel co-production chain in the U.S. and the region, which employs more than one million workers.

“The rules of origin governing textile and apparel production and trade under CAFTA-DR have clear benefits and have strengthened our regional supply chains by fostering a stable business environment where American and regional manufacturers can thrive. We strongly urge you to continue following the longstanding CAFTA-DR short supply list process, which requires requestors to submit public petitions for review, and reject requests to circumvent it,” the letter states.

“Bypassing the existing short supply petition and review system could result in non-signatory nations gaining a backdoor entrance to CAFTA-DR benefits. We fear that the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as the dominant global supplier of yarns and fabrics, would be the major winner under this proposal,” they wrote.

Please also see a joint press release from Reps. McHenry and Pascrell quoting NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas here.

The letter, made public today, was sent in advance of a Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing titled, “Economic Cooperation for a Stronger and More Resilient Western Hemisphere,” scheduled for today at 3 pm.

Many in Congress and the administration have maintained support for a strong rules-based CAFTA-DR. Most recently, U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai, voiced her strong support for the current CAFTA-DR rules in a special video presentation at NCTO’s annual meeting at the end of March. See her remarks here.

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  •    U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 538,067 in 2022.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.8 billion in 2022.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $34 billion in 2022.
  • Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.684.3091

May 16, 2023 Comments (0) Press Releases, Recent News

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Glen Raven Hosts Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer Knight, Highlighting Industry’s Competitiveness, Sustainability, Capital Investments & Jobs

WASHINGTON –Glen Raven hosted Jennifer Knight, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, Materials Industries, Critical Minerals and Metals with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, at the company’s state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Anderson, South Carolina today, where the company manufactures its Sunbrella® flagship brand. The company is beginning to scale a major expansion plan started in 2021, illustrating continued investment and growth by a leader in the U.S. textile industry and its importance to the U.S. economy.

“We were honored to host Deputy Assistant Secretary Knight at our Sunbrella facility in Anderson, South Carolina to give her a firsthand experience of our advanced manufacturing facilities, sustainable initiatives, and the passionate work of our U.S. manufacturing teams,” said Glen Raven CEO Leib Oehmig. “The opportunity to discuss with a key trade official the impact of our nation’s global trade polices on our company and our dedicated workers is invaluable. We highlighted the importance of Glen Raven’s contribution to our local communities, as well as the critical need to maintain a domestic textile and apparel industry and to promote policies that support a resilient and competitive supply chain, innovation and research and a vibrant and well-trained workforce. We are thankful for Deputy Assistant Secretary Knight’s commitment to understanding the challenges we face in the global trade arena and appreciate the dialogue we had with her here today.”

“Public-private sector engagement is key to supporting a competitive and resilient textile and apparel supply chain and I am pleased to visit Glen Raven, a prime example of our modern domestic textile industry with its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities for high-performance fabrics,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Knight. “ITA continues to support American manufacturers and recognizes the importance of building an innovative, diverse and skilled workforce.”

Glen Raven, a family-owned company founded in 1880, operates five manufacturing facilities in North and South Carolina employing 2,500 people, including their joint venture with Shawmut Corporation. The company is currently in the process of scaling a $250 million multi-phase U.S. capacity expansion plan of its facilities and infrastructure to meet customer demand.

At Glen Raven, Knight toured Glen Raven’s Sunbrella® facilities, part of the company’s Custom Fabrics division, which includes flagship brands Sunbrella® and Dickson®. Glen Raven also has two other divisions, including Glen Raven Technical Fabrics with GlenGuard®, StrataTM and Glen Raven Logistics; and Trivantage, one of the nation’s largest business-to-business distributors for the awning, marine, upholstery and shade sail industries. 

Glen Raven is a leader in the upholstery, marine, shading, automotive, military, geotextile, and protective workwear markets and operates national distribution and logistics subsidiaries.

Knight’s visit to Glen Raven’s Sunbrella® facilities comes at a critical time for the company and the U.S. textile supply chain, which produced $65.8 billion in output in 2022 and employed 538,000 workers. Glen Raven is part of the broader textile industry that is a critical manufacturing segment contributing to job growth, investments, and innovation. From 2012-2021, capital investment in U.S. yarn, fabric, apparel & sewn products manufacturing totals $20.9 billion.

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 538,067 in 2022.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.8 billion in 2022.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $34 billion in 2022.
  • Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

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CONTACT: Kristi Ellis

(202) 684-3091

www.ncto.org

May 9, 2023 Comments (0) Press Releases, Recent News

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NCTO Member Barnet Hosts Congressman William Timmons (SC-04) to Tout Innovation and Capital Investment in South Carolina’s Vibrant Textile...

May 3, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC – National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) member Barnet met with Congressman William Timmons (SC-04) this week at the company’s international headquarters in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where the company manufactures advanced textile materials and is currently expanding operations, underscoring continued growth and investment by the U.S. textile industry.

“As a leader in the Upstate region’s manufacturing of synthetic fibers, polymers, yarns, and other solutions, Barnet welcomed the opportunity to introduce Rep. Timmons to the range of innovative products our team produces here in his district,” said Chuck Hall, Barnet’s president and CEO. “We greatly appreciate the congressman’s support of South Carolina’s textile industry and are grateful for his help addressing many challenges that manufacturers in the state face.”

Barnet is a global manufacturing, recycling, and trading company, specializing in a wide range of fibers, polymers and yarns. Founded in Albany, New York in 1898 by William Barnet, the company has been dedicated to a vision of being the world’s most respected, creative, versatile, and sustainable global solution provider to its customers and suppliers. The company currently employs over 500 associates worldwide.

At Barnet, Rep. Timmons toured the company’s production line for Nega-Stat®, an advanced yarn that eliminates static discharge from fabrics that are used in a range of industrial environments.  Without this protection, a static discharge could damage sensitive electronic equipment or cause an incendiary discharge—potentially leading to an industrial explosion.

The congressman also viewed firsthand Barnet’s new carbon fiber investment at the site, which will expand the company’s production and create new manufacturing jobs.  This investment will produce modified and precision cut carbon fibers for a range of nonwoven, composite, and engineered plastic applications.

Barnet operates three manufacturing facilities in the U.S., employing 300 people.

Barnet is part of the broader domestic textile industry that is a major factor in high-tech and sustainable innovation in the production of everything from heart valves and stents to aircraft bodies and advanced body armor. The entire U.S. textile supply chain produced $65.8 billion in output in 2022 and employed nearly 538,000 workers.

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

·   U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 538,067 in 2022.

·   The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.8 billion in 2022.

·   U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $34 billion in 2022.

·   Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.684.3091

May 3, 2023 Comments (0) Press Releases, Uncategorized

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State of the U.S. Textile Industry Address

March 30, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC—National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Chairman David Poston delivered the trade association’s State of the U.S. textile industry overview at NCTO’s 19th Annual Meeting on March 30.

Mr. Poston’s speech highlighted the impacts of macroeconomic factors on the U.S. textile industry and the resilience of the U.S. textile industry; trade and investment data showing growth in the sector across the board; and NCTO’s policy priorities for domestic textile manufacturers.

“The U.S. textile and apparel industry faced challenging macroeconomic conditions throughout the year,” Poston states in the speech. “Despite these challenges, there were also many positive trends that helped offset some of those pressures, including softening inflation towards the latter half of the year, coupled with a surge in onshoring and nearshoring that led to historic investments, commitments and expansion in the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere.”

A link to his full remarks as prepared for delivery are included in this press statement along with a link to a key facts infographic prepared by NCTO illustrating the current economic status of the U.S. textile industry.

Mr. Poston is President of Palmetto Synthetics, a South Carolina leading provider of specialty synthetic fibers, producing high-quality coarse denier fiber for the abrasives industry, as well as fine denier solution dyed PET.

NCTO’s annual meeting was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington March 28-30.

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 538,067 in 2022.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.8 billion in 2022.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $34.0 billion in 2022.
  • Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org  |  202.684.3091

Mar 30, 2023 Comments (0) Press Releases, Uncategorized

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Domestic Textile Groups Tell Biden Administration Penalty Tariffs Counteract China’s Unfair Trade Advantage & Give American Producers a Chance...

WASHINGTON –The Biden administration’s Section 301 penalty tariffs on finished textiles and apparel counteract China’s unfair trade advantages and give U.S. manufactures a chance to compete, two key American textile manufacturing groups told the Biden administration today. Removing tariffs, the associations said, would reward China, put U.S. manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage and do nothing to reduce inflation.

In a formal submission to the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office, which is conducting a four-year statutory review of the tariffs, the associations, representing the entirety of the U.S. textile production chain, expressed strong support for the continuation of current Section 301 penalty tariffs on finished textiles and apparel imports from China and outlined the effectiveness of U.S. tariff actions.

“In some cases, such as on finished apparel, the tariffs have worked to partially offset and counteract China’s unfair trade advantages,” the groups said. “The tariffs on finished textile and apparel items are giving U.S. manufacturers the chance to compete, and we are seeing encouraging investment and growth in moving some production and souring from China back to the Western Hemisphere.”

“The CAFTA-DR [Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement] region has seen more than $1 billion in new textile and apparel investment this year, for example, which is historic and due to the textile and apparel rules negotiated under the agreement and sourcing shifts from China,” they added. “This investment and growing U.S. imports from the Western Hemisphere is attributable in part to the 301 tariffs on finished apparel.  The tariffs on finished items in our sector are broadly supported by textile/apparel producers in the hemispheric co-production chain, and it is essential that they remain in place, absent China reforming its practices.”

The submission was filed by the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and the U.S. Industrial and Narrow Fabrics Institute (USINFI).

The groups have long advocated for a fair, transparent process to remove tariffs on textile machinery, certain chemicals and dyes and limited textile inputs that cannot be sourced domestically to help U.S. manufacturers compete against China.

They also stressed that lifting the tariffs on finished textiles and apparel products from China “will solidify their global dominance in this sector for generations to come and reward their abusive behaviors, exacerbate the migration crisis, hurt domestic manufacturers and workers, undermine our ability to recalibrate essential PPE supply chains, and blunt the positive supply chains shifts and investments in the Western Hemisphere that are happening.” They added it would “do nothing to solve the inflation crisis facing U.S. consumers and manufacturers right now.”

See the full submission here.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) is a not-for-profit trade association established to represent the entire spectrum of the United States textile sector, from fibers to yarns to fabrics to finished products, as well as suppliers of numerous support services such as trucking, banking, chemicals, and other such sectors that have a stake in the prosperity and survival of the U.S. textile sector.  U.S. textile and apparel manufacturers produced $65.2 billion in output in 2021, and our sector’s supply chain employs 534,000 workers from fiber to finished sewn products.  NCTO’s headquarters are in Washington, DC.  www.ncto.org  

The United States Industrial and Narrow Fabrics Institute (USINFI)  Member companies manufacture highly-specialized textile products, advanced materials, and components used to support a variety of high-value-added and sophisticated industries.  These include the aerospace, automotive, construction, marine, medical, military, and safety/protective gear sectors among others.  USINFI currently has over 90 member companies, and its headquarters are in Roseville, MN. https://usinfi.textiles.org/

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.684.3091

Jan 17, 2023 Comments (0) Press Releases, Uncategorized

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Senate Passes Bill Aimed at Expanding Government Procurement of American-Made Essential Products as Part of the NDAA Conference Report

WASHINGTON DC—The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber though finished sewn products, commends the Senate for passing the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes a key provision aimed at spurring more government procurement of domestically produced essential products, providing a significant benefit to the U.S. textile industry.

“We applaud the Senate for getting the NDAA across the finish line today, and we are pleased the legislation will now go to President Biden for his signature,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas. “The underlying NDAA conference report includes a critical bill known as the Homeland Procurement Reform (HOPR) Act, which establishes specific criteria that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must meet to procure more domestically manufactured uniforms, footwear, and related critical items by DHS agencies.”

“NCTO sincerely thanks the Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition (WPRC) and the coalition of industry and labor groups who helped secure inclusion of the HOPR Act in the NDAA,” Glas said. “This common-sense bill will ensure that key divisions of the DHS can procure American-made critical uniforms and protective equipment to support the execution and enforcement of their missions.”

Glas added, “The importance of the domestic textile industry and a warm industrial base was heightened during the pandemic when the industry pivoted overnight to retool production lines to address severe shortages of lifesaving products. That experience demonstrated how imperative it is to build and expand a permanent domestic manufacturing base for our country’s health and national security. The HOPR Act is poised to provide a greatly needed demand signal to the U.S. manufacturing industry for expanded government procurement of American-made essential items, ranging from uniforms to footwear and body armor and helmets. It is a step in the right direction to further safeguard our national security from unreliable foreign supply chains in China and other countries for essential materials.”

Once signed into law, the new HOPR provisions will go into effect in 180 days.

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 534,000 in 2021.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.2 billion in 2021.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.4 billion in 2021.
  • Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $1.85 billion in 2020, the last year for which data is available.

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CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.684.3091

Dec 15, 2022 Comments (0) Press Releases

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Barnet Hosts Congressman Greg Murphy (R-N.C.); Highlights the Importance of Supporting Policies that Bolster the Competitiveness of the U.S....

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) met with executives at William Barnet & Son LLC (Barnet) and toured a facility in Kinston, N.C. today, where the company’s innovation, advances in sustainable practices and its important contribution to the North Carolina economy were on full display.

Congressman Murphy’s visit is critical and comes at a pivotal time for the U.S. textile supply chain, which produced $65.2 billion in output in 2021 and employed nearly 535,000 workers. Barnet is part of the broader industry that is a major factor in high-tech and sustainable innovation in the production of everything from heart valves and stents to aircraft bodies and advanced body armor.

Barnet is a global manufacturing, recycling, and trading company, specializing in a wide range of fibers, polymers and yarns. Founded in Albany, N.Y. in 1898 by William Barnet, the company has been dedicated to a vision of being the world’s most respected, creative, versatile and sustainable solution provider to its customers and suppliers. The company currently employs over 400 employees worldwide.

During the discussion with Congressman Murphy, Barnet executives discussed several policy priorities that have far-reaching implications for North Carolina and the entire U.S. textile industry.

They also outlined the importance of policies aimed at bolstering onshoring and nearshoring production, closing a legal loophole in U.S. trade law that continues to undermine American manufacturing and gives China an advantage, and U.S. trade policy on China.

“We are honored to have hosted Dr. Murphy at our Kinston facility today,” said Chuck Hall, president of Barnet. “The opportunity to discuss important policies that impact not only our everyday business operations but the entire industry’s operations is invaluable. It is critical that U.S. trade policy centers around keeping the industry competitive. In particular, we discussed the need to maintain China 301 penalty tariffs, to fix a loophole in U.S. trade law known as the de minimis mechanism, which allows a package of goods valued at $800 or less per person to come into the country duty free every day and gives China backdoor access to the U.S. market, and to find a better process for renewing the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) which allows U.S. manufacturers duty-free access to raw materials that are no longer produced within our borders. We look forward to continuing to the work with the congressman on policies that help drive onshoring and nearshoring to the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere and those that support strong government procurement and American-made products.”

“It was wonderful to meet with Barnet’s officials and tour their impressive textile facility today. North Carolina’s textile industry is a huge driver for our economy, directly employing nearly 40,000 workers and generating over $2.7 billion in textile-related exports,” said Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. “I am grateful to the industry leaders who took the time to discuss how we can expand this great industry, grow our state’s economy, and protect domestic manufacturing.”

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 534,000 in 2021.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $65.2 billion in 2021.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.4 billion in 2021.
  • Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $1.85 billion in 2020, the last year for which data is available.

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CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.684.3091


Nov 2, 2022 Comments (0) Press Releases, Recent News

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