The mission of the United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI) is to build a strong coalition of US fiber, fabric, and end product manufacturers and to serve member company interests both domestically and internationally. Learn more. USIFI member companies must:
be incorporated
have business headquarters or significant manufacturing in the United States
service or supply the United States specialty fabrics industry with products
USIFI is part of the not-for-profit Industrial Fabrics Association International (www.ifai.com), the global association for the specialty fabrics industry.
Industry Meeting at TPP Negotiations in Dallas
The United States hosted government delegations from the eight other Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries during the 12th round of TPP negotiations this past week in Dallas, Texas. Private sector stakeholders from the various TPP nations were invited to attend. Executive Director Auggie Tantillo participated on AMTAC’s behalf.
Progress in the negotiations was slow due to continued significant differences among TPP countries in major areas such as agriculture and textiles. The United States and Vietnam remain at loggerheads over the basic rule of origin in the textile chapter because Vietnam is seeking an extremely lenient origin rule based on a simple cut and sew requirement. On the other hand, the U.S. government remained firm in its position of support for a yarn-forward arrangement, similar to origin rules negotiated under other U.S. free trade agreements, such as DR-CAFTA.
"Friend of the Industry" Awarded to Rep Larry Kissell
The technical textile industry has a hard-working, knowledgeable friend in Washington - Representative Larry Kissell has served the industry well during his time as Congressman from North Carolina's 8th district. USIFI recently conferred the "Friend of the Industry" to Mr. Kissell for his work as co-chair of the bipartisan Textile Caucus, his work on Berry Amendment issues, and his support for textile manufacturing and fair business practices.
U.S. Korea Free Trade Agreement Goes into Effect March 15
The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement enters into force today, March 15, 2012.
The Office of Textiles and Apparel has updated its Korea FTA website to reflect the date of entry into force, and to include other information that could be of assistance to U.S. importers and exporters of textiles, apparel, footwear, and travel goods. See http://web.ita.doc.gov/tacgi/fta.nsf/FTA/Korea?opendocument&country=Korea
The textile and apparel chapter of the Agreement requires that both parties publish procedures for
The procedures were sent to the Federal Register today (March 15), for publication. The legally controlling version will be the official procedures published in the Federal Register. Publication of these procedures in the Federal Register will occur early the week of March 19. The date of publication in the FR is the date on which the procedures are effective; further, CITA is requesting comments on the interim procedures 30 days after the date of FR publication.
Berry Amendment change benefits U.S. textile industry
Two-and-a-half-year mission in Washington D.C. ends in victory for military tent makers/supply chain
(Roseville, MN – January16, 2012) At a time when President Obama and his administration are on a new mission to repatriate American manufacturing jobs, the U.S. Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI) recently scored a victory for the textile industry.
USIFI is the manufacturing segment of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), and has a long track record of fighting policy decisions that kill American manufacturing jobs--semper vigilans.
This mission began two-and-a-half years ago when a surprise reinterpretation of the Berry Amendment was announced by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) saying that military tents could be constructed with components made offshore. That subtle interpretive phrasing would curtail American companies, and was contrary to the spirit of the Berry Amendment, (USC, Title 10, Section 2533a), a law which requires the Department of Defense to give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured, or home grown products. Congress originally passed domestic source restrictions as part of the 1941 Fifth Supplemental DoD Appropriations Act in order to guarantee a domestic source for products needed during war.
As the United States seeks to reinvigorate its job market and move past economic recession, MIT News examines manufacturing’s role in the country’s economic future through this series on work at the Institute around manufacturing.
The loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs is a topic that can provoke heated arguments about globalization. But what do the cold, hard numbers reveal? How has the rise in foreign manufacturing competition actually affected the U.S. economy and its workers?
Textile World's Economics Editor Robert S. Reichard offers this somewhat positive economic forecast for the U.S. textile and apparel industry.
The $70 billion U.S. textile and apparel sector is alive and, in fact, doing quite well. Too upbeat an appraisal? Not really — given the fact that even in today's relatively lackluster business climate, these industries have managed to rack up gains for two consecutive years.
To be sure, the increases have been rather modest. Nevertheless, they mark a major change from the steady tattoo of declines and retrenchments that marked most of the past decade.
And the good news is almost sure to spill over into the new year. Again, any improvements will be far from spectacular. But, by and large, overall production, shipments and profit numbers should end up at or above 2011 levels when all the results are in.
KIRK, FROMAN SAY U.S.-EU FTA ON THE TABLE IN NEW WORKING GROUP
Michael Froman, President Obama's deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk this week said that a U.S.-EU free trade agreement is among the options to be discussed in a newly launched exploration on how to deepen bilateral trade and investment ties between the two sides in order to stimulate economic growth and jobs.
“We will be exploring options ranging from 'TEC plus' to a potential FTA with an open mind toward seeing what is feasible and what would have the greatest impact on our economic relationship,” Froman said during a Nov. 29 press briefing following the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) meeting.
He said U.S. positions in the working group, like all U.S. trade policy, will be determined through an inter-agency process. Part of that process would include outreach to stakeholders, both Froman and Kirk said. This will include working with Congress, the private sector, and labor and environmental groups, Froman said.
Froman chairs the TEC along with EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, who also co-chairs the new working group established under the TEC to examine ways to deepen bilateral economic ties. Kirk is the U.S. chair of that working group.
In a Nov. 30 speech to the Chamber of Commerce, Kirk also signaled that an FTA would be among the options the group would explore when said the two sides agreed that “everything would be on the table.”
He said that does not mean the two sides will be launching an FTA, but that they have agreed to have an “open and honest dialogue” about all options.
If something is not achievable, the two sides will acknowledge that as well, Kirk said. According to Kirk, the working group builds on the outcome of the TEC which has developed joint principles on information and communication technology services this year as well as working on good regulatory processes.
Kirk said that the two sides also agreed that their efforts at deepening economic ties should not do any harm to the “breadth and depth” of the current U.S.-EU relationship. “Whatever we do, we want to make sure we are not creating barriers to what is already an extraordinary” relationship, he said.
U.S. industrial textiles industry sees a threat in Korea trade pact
America's $29 billion specialty fabric business soon could lose jobs to companies in South Korea, an exec fears.
Specialty fabrics serve an array of markets -- everything from awnings to auto airbags to protective gear for soldiers and firefighters. Unlike apparel textiles, the U.S. specialty fabric business has continued to grow, but according to industry trade associations it may now be threatened by the new Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS).
CHINA’S INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES The Freeman Briefing offers analysis of major economic, trade and related developments in China of interest to the international business community, drawing largely from Chinese language sources. Click here to access the full report.
NEW TRADE AGREEMENTS, NEW COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS USA-ITA
Author: Janet Labuda, Vice President of Global Compliance, Vandegrift
November 2, 2011
On October 12th, the 519th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s accidental bump into the “new world,” Congress enacted three new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. Although some pundits predict that these new agreements will increase the trade deficit and cause an increase in U.S. job loss, others predict that exports will increase and the market expansion will develop new engines for domestic jobs. Whichever way this “new chapter” in international trade turns out, one thing is certain: the U.S. regulatory agencies will be on the hook to ensure that transactions claiming conditional duty-free benefits under these and other trade preference programs will be in compliance with the requirements.
There is nothing in these agreements that will happen by accident.
An analysis of the vote shows that 44 members of the House Textile Caucus—or slightly less than two-thirds of the caucus—voted against the U.S.-Korea FTA, as did eight additional House members with textile interests in their districts. These 52 members—consisting of 18 Republicans and 34 Democrats—accounted for roughly one-third of the 151 members who voted against the Korea FTA. A larger share of House Democrats voted against a Democratic president on trade than ever before.
The day following the passage of the FTAs, Senators Kay Hagan and Lindsey Graham introduced the Textile Enforcement Security Act (TESA), aimed at saving textile jobs and enhancing enforcement of the trade preference programs as it relates specifically to textile imports. The House version of the bill was introduced in August 2011 and has 19 co-sponsors.
Congressional textile caucus members and the domestic textile industry are concerned about the abuse and misuse of these preferences by countries not party to the agreements. In addition, they are concerned that regulatory agencies do not have the resources to ensure compliance with these programs. As such, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Departments of Labor and Commerce will be expected to closely monitor and enforce the agreements. However, the government can’t do it alone and the trade community needs to play their part.
What does this all mean for the importing community and how can they ensure that legitimate trade and business are not disrupted? In the Korea FTA, CBP has been given the authority to deny entry for goods where a pattern of non-compliance is identified. In addition, as with all FTAs, CBP has the ability to deny claims of preference and often this occurs well after the goods have entered the commerce of the United States. The downstream impact is that importers may be faced with paying duties well after they have made business decisions on sourcing and pricing. It is not uncommon for CBP to deny preference and send bills out for duty owed for a large number of transactions months after the goods have been entered.
Because these agreements have a level of complexity built into obtaining preferences, importers must ensure that manufacturers and producers know that a preference claim will be made when the goods are imported into the United States. Communication between importer sourcing personnel, the buying agents, and manufacturers is critical. Manufacturers must understand that a document trail is a key element of verification by CBP personnel. The inability to produce documents to illustrate the manufacturing process will lead to the denial of preference and a high-risk designation not only for the manufacturer, but also for the importer of record.
The customs house broker is the linchpin in the importing process. The broker is licensed and regulated by CBP to conduct customs business on behalf of their clients, and thus a critical partner in ensuring compliance. When choosing a broker, the importer should ask the following questions:
•• How long has the company been in business?
•• How much of their business involves the textile industry?
•• How much of their business involves trade preference program claims?
•• What types of resources does the broker have?
•• How versed are the broker’s resources in preferential trade programs?
•• What past experiences do the broker’s resources have in international trade? Did they work for a regulatory agency? Did they work in international sourcing?
•• Does the broker have a compliance department?
•• Is the broker a member of broker associations, either locally or on the national level?
•• Does the broker maintain open lines of communication with regulatory agencies?
•• Does the broker maintain offices in key ports of entry handling trade preference program trade?
•• Does the broker encourage open and frequent communication?
•• Is the broker willing to work with your sourcing department to take maximum advantage of the trade preference programs?
Once you are comfortable with the customs house broker, it will be much easier to navigate through the trade preference programs—and there will be few, if any, surprises down the road.
In real estate, it’s all about “location, location, location.” In international trade, “compliance, compliance, compliance” will be the name of the game for the foreseeable future.
AMTAC Makes Stakeholder Presentation at Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiating Round in Chicago
AMTAC staff traveled to Chicago for the latest round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations among the governments of the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The U.S. government held firm on their stance in favor of a yarn-forward rule of origin for textiles and apparel despite strong opposition from other TPP governments. The United States tabled a yarn-forward rule in the previous negotiating round this past July in Vietnam. Most of the other TPP countries as well as U.S. importers and retailers favor a more liberal rule in the form of either a value-based rule or single transformation (assembly only).
AMTAC’s Auggie Tantillo gave a presentation to TPP negotiators on the importance of the yarn forward rule of origin at a stakeholder’s forum on Saturday, September 10. A copy of the PowerPoint presentation is attached. Other domestic industry representatives presented as well, and this forum provided an important opportunity to demonstrate the resolve of the U.S. private sector in preserving yarn forward under TPP. In addition to the stakeholder forum, domestic producers and associations including AMTAC also met separately with TPP government delegations to clarify why yarn forward is so critical in this agreement.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for October 24-28 in Lima, Peru. This will be an important round as the last session prior to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Honolulu in mid-November. TPP participants originally hoped to announce a final agreement at the APEC meeting. Although it is unlikely that the November deadline will be met, there will be significant pressure to announce a general framework to guide the remaining negotiations in Honolulu. If a general framework does end up being announced in November, AMTAC still expects the TPP negotiations to carry well into 2012.
In addition to AMTAC staff, the following AMTAC members were present in Chicago:
Kathi Dutilh – Milliken & Company
Bill Jasper – UNIFI
Jane Johnson – UNIFI
Jean Lineberger – U.S. Industrial Fabrics Institute
Bob Chesebro – Wigwam Mills
Manufacturing Strategy Needed
Click here to watch why the U.S. needs a manufacturing strategy:
Congressman Wilson Visits Graniteville Specialty Fabrics
Employees of Graniteville Specialty Fabrics received a visit Wednesday from Congressman Joe Wilson, who toured the facility and saw firsthand the innovative and historic contributions the facility has made that are now used worldwide.
Nicole Crews -- Furniture Today, February 20, 2012 GLEN RAVEN, N.C. - The story of Sunbrella Performance Fabrics is a yarn of fairytale proportions. The Glen Raven Custom Fabrics brand began as an alternative to cotton awning fabrics in 1961 when Roger Gant Jr., grandson of Glen Raven founder John Q. Gant, came across a sort of fairy godmother in the form of Monsanto - then a purveyor of colorfast fiber.
Gant knew that Glen Raven had been making the same essential cotton awning fabric since the late 1800s and that it was time for a change. He struck a deal with Monsanto and replaced cotton with its acrylic fibers with pre-extrusion pigments. He followed the decision up with an unheard-of five-year warranty and made the strategic decision to advertise the Sunbrella brand directly to consumers.
Once the 1970s rolled around, boating opened up a new channel for Sunbrella fabrics in the marine market, convertible tops for the automotive industry followed, and field-marketing initiatives were well on their way to making Sunbrella a household name.
Click here to read the rest of the history of Glen Raven's signature brand.
Can you Find the Snipers?
They are wearing specialty fabrics.....
BondCote Corporation Reaching You Through Social Media
BondCote strives to provide high performance quality engineered fabrics at a fair price in the military, industrial, athletic, recreation, and medical markets. It is critical that current and potential customers have immediate access to new developments and means to view extensive testing on these developments.
BondCote can now be followed on YouTube and LinkedIn. BondCote’s website, www.bondcote.com, is continually updated with news releases, product introductions, and videos.
BondCote’s latest development, Marine AeroFlate, is extensively tested to ensure durability as well as permeability. Check out the latest video showing how serious we are about the quality of this fabric; http://www.bondcote.com/commercial/Inflatableboatfabric.
W. L. Gore & Associates Introduces GORE(R) PYRAD(TM) Flame Retardant Technology
ELKTON, Md., Oct 10, 2011 -- W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., announces the commercial introduction of GORE(R) PYRAD(TM) Flame Retardant technology, a new laminate technology that offers an optimal combination of thermal / flashover burn protection, environmental protection, and comfort. GORE(R) PYRAD(TM) Flame Retardant is a durably bonded laminate solution that allows manufacturers to integrate Flame Retardant (FR) performance into protective outerwear where traditional (non-FR) textiles, such as nylon and polyester, are used.
GORE(R) PYRAD(TM) Flame Retardant offers highly efficient thermal protection per unit weight and demonstrates excellent flame and burn performance in Pyroman (ASTM F 1930) testing, and retains this feature, even after contamination of fuels, oils and lubricants. Garments made with GORE(R) PYRAD(TM) Flame Retardant also exhibit best-in-class mechanical integrity after flashover exposure with very low shrinkage and no break-open.
A Wake Up Call: Manufacturing - The Savior of a Declining Empire?
Observers say the US needs a paradigm shift in its economic direction. This involves a re-strengthened manufacturing base. A return to what once worked best – what a radical thought!
Appropriately, during the last Labor Day weekend, we were provided harsh messages about the US job situation. The strongest didn’t come from our president or his large field of challengers (these people should be engaged in more urgent activities than premature campaigning).
“It can be done!” Those four words sum up Navy Rear Adm. David Baucom’s message as he assumed command of Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support July 13.
Onlookers lined the walls and filled seats as senior leaders of DLA, former commanders of DLA Troop Support and its legacy organizations, and employees from agencies located on the Naval Supply Activity’s compound welcomed the new commander.
In his remarks to the audience, Baucom explained he adopted his mantra from a placard President Ronald Reagan kept on his desk during his eight-year administration.
An organization is considered successful by its defining spirit, people, culture, character and reputation, Baucom told the crowd. “Now that’s the reputation of DLA Troop Support,” Baucom stated. “[It’s] a well-deserved reputation of being there when our service members need us and a strong culture that embodies that ‘can do’ attitude. It can be done.”
Lost Jobs: Why fixing the trade deficit matters most
Food for Thought....
This article by Donald Barlett and James Steele gives good historical information about how trade deficits are preventing any significant jobs growth in America.
An excerpt: "Congress is wrought up over the wrong deficit. The real deficit issue that has been out of control for 35 years is the trade deficit. That's the one that has decimated the American workforce, blocked the creation of millions of jobs, created millions more jobs for people in other countries, triggered pay cuts for millions of workers who still have jobs in the United States, and generally lowered the standard of living for many at the bottom and in the middle of the economic pile. Those at the top have flourished quite nicely under this policy."
Textile Coalition Supports Funding for Textile Research
Fourteen trade associations that represent the overwhelming majority of our nation’s nearly 500,000 fiber, yarn, fabric, apparel, home furnishings and specialty fabrics applications workers are asking Congress to support funding for a competitive research program specifically designed to advance the technological capabilities and overall competitiveness of the U.S. fiber, textile and apparel industries.
It is essential that the U.S government continue to serve as a partner in the ongoing effort to transform the U.S. textile and apparel sector into a highly flexible supply chain, capable of responding to rapidly changing market demands. Specifically, the Coalition has requested that the House Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations subcommittee include $5 million for a competitive textile research program for FY 2012. Read the full letter to Congress here.
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