September 11, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), spanning the entire spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued a statement today commending the House of Representatives for passing the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains provisions that could expand military procurement of American-made textiles.

The House NDAA bill, which sets policy and funding priorities for the U.S. military, includes a key provision that would eliminate a statutory exemption under the Berry Amendment that acts as a loophole allowing the U.S. military to buy textiles abroad instead of from American textile manufacturers as long as the purchase is at or below a small purchase threshold of $150,000. The loophole has undercut the Berry Amendment, which requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to purchase 100% U.S.-made textiles and clothing.

The NDAA also incorporates language from the Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act, championed by NCTO and a broad coalition, which directs the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations within two years that prohibit any member of the Armed forces from wearing optional combat boots unless they are made in the United States with American-made components, with limited exceptions. The measure closes another gap that has allowed active-duty troops to be supplied with foreign-made boots, undermining U.S. footwear manufacturers.

“We commend the House for passing the FY 2026 NDAA with these critical provisions that bolster American manufacturing, strengthen economic competitiveness, and ensure our Armed Forces are equipped with the best U.S.-made uniforms and gear,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas. “Our industry produces more than 8,000 products annually for the U.S. military—including over $1.8 billion in uniforms, footwear, and personal equipment—and plays a vital role in our national defense.

“We appreciate the leadership of Congressman Don Davis (D-NC) and Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC), who led efforts to close the Berry Amendment loophole and co-sponsored the amendment to the NDAA,” she said.

“These provisions will expand opportunities for U.S. textile manufacturers, safeguard domestic supply chains, and ensure our troops continue to receive innovative, high-quality American-made products,” Glas noted.

“We urge the Senate to include these measures in its version of the legislation and look forward to working with both chambers to ensure the provisions are included in the final conference report.”

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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 471,046 in 2024.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $63.9 billion in 2024.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.0 billion in 2024.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.98 billion in 2022, the last year for which data is available.

CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.281.9305

July 30, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber, yarn and fabrics to finished sewn products, issued the following statement from President and CEO Kim Glas today, regarding President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending de minimis treatment for all commerce shipments globally, effective August 29.

Statement from President and CEO Kim Glas

“On behalf of the U.S. textile industry, we commend President Trump for using his executive authority to close the de minimis loophole for all global commercial shipments, effective August 29.

“For eight years, NCTO has led critical efforts to close the de minimis backdoor pipeline for cheap, subsidized, and often illegal, toxic and unethical imports—half of which are estimated to be textiles and apparel. Every day, 4 million de minimis packages flood into the U.S., undermining American manufacturing, evading inspection, and allowing forced labor-made goods from Xinjiang, China as well as illicit fentanyl to reach consumers unchecked.

“The de minimis mechanism has functioned as a black box for low-cost, subsidized, and unethical Chinese imports and undermined the competitiveness of the U.S. textile industry—a key contributor to the workforce and the U.S. economy.

“In the face of the rising flood of de minimis shipments, NCTO doubled-down on advocating for comprehensive de minimis reform and proudly joined the Coalition to Close the De Minimis Loophole, representing a wide range of American voices committed to ending the de minimis crisis, including manufacturers, business associations, labor unions, law enforcement, families of fentanyl victim groups, drug prevention organizations, consumer groups, and others.

“Today marks a significant milestone for all our efforts to repeal this harmful provision in U.S. trade law. We are grateful to President Trump for recognizing the severe impact of this loophole and validating that de minimis has caused widespread harm across businesses and communities, in the action he is taking today to repeal de minimis immediately.

“We thank the president and his administration for listening, acting, and standing with American manufacturers and workers. Today’s executive order is a game changer. It restores fairness for U.S. manufacturers, closes a major gateway for illegal and toxic goods, and lays the groundwork for reinvestment and job creation here at home.

“Coupled with the bipartisan legislation to codify de minimis repeal by July 2027, this action when implemented will slam the door shut on one of the most damaging trade loopholes in U.S. history.”

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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 471,046 in 2024.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $63.9 billion in 2024.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.0 billion in 2024.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.98 billion in 2022, the last year for which data is available.

CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.281.9305

July 16, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), spanning the entire spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued a statement today commending the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) for passing the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains a provision that could boost domestic textile industry sales to the U.S. military.

The House NDAA bill, which authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military, includes a provision that would eliminate a statutory exemption under the Berry Amendment that acts as a loophole allowing the U.S. military to buy textiles abroad instead of from American textile manufacturers as long as the purchase is at or below a small purchase threshold of $150,000.

The NDAA also includes language from the Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act, a bill that NCTO has pushed for as part of a broader coalition. The provision requires the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations within two years that prohibit any member of the Armed Forces from wearing optional combat boots as part of a required uniform unless those boots are made in the United States with American-made components, with a few exceptions.

“We applaud the HASC for passing the FY 2026 NDAA and including provisions that would help boost domestic manufacturing, strengthen American economic competitiveness, and meet the mission-critical needs of our Armed Forces,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“We are sincerely appreciative of the leadership of Congressman Don Davis (D-NC) and Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC), who led efforts to close the Berry Amendment loophole and co-sponsored the amendment to the NDAA.
“The Berry Amendment requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to purchase 100% U.S.-made textiles and clothing. But the small-purchase exemption in the statute has led to U.S. military purchases of foreign-made textile articles largely at the expense of American textile manufacturers who have potentially lost several million dollars per year in U.S. government sales.

“Eliminating this exemption will lead to the military procurement of more American-made military textile products as well as oversight of Berry Amendment compliance.
“Lastly, we also applaud the inclusion of the BOOTS Act in the NDAA, which will support domestic military footwear production.

“This is a win for the American textile and apparel industry, a key strategic contributor to our national defense that supplies over 8,000 products a year to our men and women in uniform. The industry provides high-tech, functional components for the U.S. government, including more than $1.8 billion worth of vital uniforms and equipment for our armed forces annually.

“It is vital to America’s national security that the U.S. military maintain the ability to source high-quality, innovative textile materials, apparel, and personal equipment from a vibrant American textile industrial base. “After passage of the FY 2026 NDAA by the full House, we look forward to working with the Senate and House to ensure this provision is included in the final NDAA conference report.”
We look forward to working with the Senate and House to ensure this provision is included in the final NDAA conference report.”

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

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 471,046 in 2024.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $63.9 billion in 2024.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.0 billion in 2024.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.98 billion in 2022, 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 | 202.281.9305

July 1, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber, yarn and fabrics to finished sewn products, issued the following statement from President and CEO Kim Glas today, regarding the Senate’s passage of sweeping budget reconciliation package, which includes a provision that would permanently end de minimis for commercial shipments from all countries by July 1, 2027.

Statement from President and CEO Kim Glas

“On behalf of the U.S. textile industry, I would like to commend Senate leaders for including an important provision in the broader budget reconciliation bill that would end de minimis for commercial shipments from all countries, effective July 1, 2027. The Senate language mirrors a provision included in the House reconciliation package passed earlier in May.”

The Senate passed a sweeping budget  bill today, which will now go to the House for approval with the goal of transmitting a final bill to President Trump’s desk for his signature ahead of the July 4 holiday.

“We sincerely appreciate Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) for leading efforts on a legislative solution that would codify and permanently end duty-free de minimis treatment for millions of low-value packages from China and all countries, closing a loophole in U.S. trade law that has harmed American manufacturers and workers and endangered American consumers.

“This provision would help rebalance the playing field for the domestic textile industry, which has seen the closure of 28 plants over the past 23 months. We are urging congressional leaders to ensure inclusion of this critical provision in the final version of the reconciliation bill this week, which would bring us one step closer to marking a significant milestone for the U.S. textile industry and a broad coalition of organizations dedicated to advocating for ending this destructive loophole.

“De Minimis acts as a gateway for facilitating four million packages a day valued at $800 or less that often contain unsafe, toxic and unethical products made with forced labor, as well as lethal fentanyl and other illicit narcotics to the U.S. market duty free and virtually unchecked. We applaud the Senate and House for validating that this loophole has caused widespread harm across businesses and communities and ending it once and for all.

“We are also grateful that the Trump administration has already used executive authorities to end de minimis access for Chinese goods—which represent approximately two-thirds of all de minimis shipments—while also laying the groundwork to close de minimis to commercial shipments from all countries.  We request that the administration utilize its executive authorities to immediately close this damaging loophole for commercial shipments from all countries in the interim until this legislation ultimately takes effect.”

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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 471,046 in 2024.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $63.9 billion in 2024.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.0 billion in 2024.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.98 billion in 2022, the last year for which data is available.

CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.281.9305

May 13, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber, yarn and fabrics to finished sewn products, issued the following statement from President and CEO Kim Glas regarding the House Ways and Means Committee’s budget reconciliation bill, which includes a provision that would permanently end de minimis for commercial shipments from all countries by 2027.

Statement by NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas:

“On behalf of the U.S. textile industry, we would like to commend the House Ways and Means Committee for including an important and critical provision in the broader budget reconciliation bill that would permanently end de minimis access for commercial shipments from all countries, effective July 1, 2027.

“The committee is slated to consider and mark up this legislation today. This significant step by Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), and the entire committee validates that the destructive de minimis loophole has harmed U.S. textile manufacturing and impeded the fight against illicit fentanyl trafficking and must be permanently closed.

“NCTO has long advocated for an end to the de minimis loophole, which facilitates four million shipments a day—often found to contain illicit and dangerous products and narcotics—duty free and virtually uninspected to the U.S. market.

“As the bill makes its way through the legislative process, we strongly support a more aggressive timeline to implement a permanent ban on de minimis globally given its significant harm to manufacturers, retailers, and the fight against fentanyl and other illegal products. Express shippers have already transitioned to processing all Chinese imports through sophisticated logistics systems, demonstrating their ability to comply with the president’s executive orders and pivot quickly.

“We recognize the committee’s leadership in moving forward with a permanent global solution that will help restore a level playing field for U.S. manufacturers and spur more investment and job growth.

“We are also grateful that the Trump administration has already used executive authorities to end de minimis access for Chinese goods—which represent approximately two-thirds of all de minimis shipments—while also laying the groundwork to close de minimis to commercial shipments from all countries.  We request that the administration utilize its executive authorities to immediately close this damaging loophole once and for all as Congress considers a legislative solution.”

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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 471,046 in 2024.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $63.9 billion in 2024.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.0 billion in 2024.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.98 billion in 2022, 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 |  202.281.9305

April 3, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber, yarn and fabrics to finished sewn products, issued the following statement from President and CEO Kim Glas regarding President Trump’s reciprocal tariff plan.

Statement by NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas:

“We strongly commend President Trump and his administration on their tariff reciprocity plan to finally begin rebalancing America’s trade positioning in markets at home and abroad. We want to thank President Trump on behalf of the U.S. textile industry and the 471,000 workers we employ.

“We are particularly pleased with the administration’s decision to preserve duty-free trade for imports from Mexico and Canada that are compliant with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) rules of origin.

“The U.S. textile industry ships $12.3 billion, or 53 percent, of its total global textile exports to Mexico and Canada and those component materials often come back as finished products to the United States under the USMCA. It is by far the largest export region for American textile producers, representing $20 billion in two-way trade that spurs enormous textile investment and employment in the United States.

“Preserving duty free, qualified trade is absolutely critical to the U.S. textile industry and will provide incentives for more companies to onshore even greater production capacity, giving a boost to American textile manufacturers and their workers.

“We are also grateful to the Trump administration for getting tough on the predatory trade practices of China, Vietnam and other Asian suppliers that have long undermined domestic textile and apparel manufacturing through the rampant use of unfair trade practices, which the U.S. textile industry has been raising concerns about for decades. 

“We encourage the administration to keep these penalty tariffs on finished textile and apparel products in place long-term with countries like China and Vietnam to provide the necessary market signals to recalibrate the global textile and apparel supply chain.

”Doing so, will help level the playing field for U.S. textile and apparel producers once and for all, given our industry has been victimized by predatory trade practices that have offshored critical jobs across the United States.

“Additionally, we hope the Trump administration extends the exemption for duty-free qualified trade from other Western Hemisphere free trade partners, such as the countries of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). This is a critical supply chain for U.S. textile exports that are essential to the American textile industry and our workers.

“The Western Hemisphere as a whole accounts for nearly 70 percent of all U.S. textile exports, represents $34 billion in annual two-way trade and supports 2.6 million jobs.

“Equally as important, the USMCA and CAFTA-DR production platforms serve as an alternative and counterweight to the China-led, Asia-based production platform that competes based on illegal tactics, such as the used of forced labor, subsidies and counterfeits, and has largely come to dominate global trade.

“We would also like to commend the Trump administration for its substantial and long overdue reform of the de minimis loophole. This loophole facilitates 4 million shipments a day to the United States that often hide illegal and unethically made products, unsafe goods and illicit fentanyl and other narcotics that reach our doorsteps. Countries such as China currently avoid billions in U.S. duties through the use of de minimis to the United States.

“We applaud the fact that the President’s announcement will essentially close de minimis on a global scale once the Secretary of Commerce puts the mechanism in place to collect duties on these imports. Half of de minimis shipments are estimated to be textile and apparel products, and NCTO has long called for the closure of this destructive loophole.  We encourage the full closure as soon as possible and stand ready to help the Administration in any way to formulate plans for its effective implementation.

“Finally, President Trump emphasized the importance of holding trade cheaters accountable in his Rose Garden event on Wednesday. The U.S. textile industry looks forward to working with the administration to develop a robust enforcement plan to help President Trump achieve the important goals outlined his new tariff plan to ensure fraudulent actors and cheaters are penalized. 

“We are grateful to President Trump and his administration for their strong support for our industry. If aggressively enforced coupled with long-term certainty, there is a huge opportunity to reshore production and grow jobs in the United States.”

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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 471,046 in 2024.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $63.9 billion in 2024.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.0 billion in 2024.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.98 billion in 2022, 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 |  202.281.9305

March 27, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. –National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Chairman Charles Heilig delivered the trade association’s State of the Industry overview at NCTO’s 21^st Annual Meeting on March 27.

Heilig’s speech outlined (1) the U.S. textile industry’s major achievements and challenges, (2) U.S. textile supply chain, economic, trade data, and (3) NCTO’s policy priorities for domestic textile manufacturers.

“Our industry’s resilience and innovation is unparalleled and strong, despite economic and trade headwinds that have impacted our sector and our customers,” Heilig notes in the speech.

“The breadth of challenges we face every day is astonishing — economic downturns, predatory trade practices, such as the use of forced labor in supply chains, ill-conceived trade policies, inadequate customs enforcement of trade fraud, post-pandemic inventory related issues, freight and logistics challenges, and race-to-the-bottom business models that —all combined — are suppressing growth and investment, leading to a persistent and severe downturn in business,” he adds. “Despite the economic downturn and unfair trade practices impacting the industry in 2024, our metrics remained stable or registered only slight declines, with the exception of employment in the cotton and wool sectors. This again underscores the industry’s ability to adapt during challenging times and remain viable even while registering painful losses.”

A link to his remarks and the industry’s performance as prepared for delivery are included here along with a link to a data infographic prepared by NCTO illustrating the current economic status of the U.S. textile industry.

Heilig is President of Parkdale Mills, based in Gastonia, North Carolina, a leading American manufacturer of yarn and cotton consumer products.

NCTO’s annual meeting was held March 24-27 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

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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 471,046 in 2024.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $63.9 billion in 2024.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.0 billion in 2024.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.98 billion in 2022, the last year for which data is available.

CONTACT:

Kristi Ellis

Vice President, Communications

National Council of Textile Organizations

kellis@ncto.org |  202.281.9305