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Fashion made possible by global trade

Fashion made possible by global trade

Fashion made possible by global trade

Letter on Death of Labor Activist in Bangladesh

Details

On April 18, 2012, USA-ITA (now USFIA) joined a number of global apparel and retail associations in sending a letter to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed of Bangladesh requesting an investigation into the death of Aminul Islam. The signers note that they are “deeply concerned about this incident because the apparent circumstances leading up to and surrounding Mr. Islam’s death could be perceived to be part of a deliberate campaign to repress efforts to raise and address issues related to unsatisfactory working conditions in the RMG sector.” The letter signers include U.S., Canadian and European apparel, retail, licensing, and footwear industries, and Bangladesh is one of the largest suppliers of apparel to the U.S., Canada, and EU.

About

The United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) is dedicated to fashion made possible by global trade.

USFIA represents brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers based in the United States and doing business globally. Founded in 1989, USFIA works to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers that impede the fashion industry’s ability to trade freely and create jobs in the United States.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, USFIA is the voice of the fashion industry in front of the U.S. government as well as international governments and stakeholders.  With constant, two-way communication, USFIA staff and counsel serve as the eyes and ears of our members in Washington and around the world, enabling them to stay ahead of the regulatory challenges of today and tomorrow. Through our publications, educational events, and networking opportunities, USFIA also connects with key stakeholders across the value chain including U.S. and international service providers, suppliers, and industry groups.

Learn More About USFIA
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News

TRACKING TRUMP'S TARIFFS

USFIA has created a new web page to track tariff actions from the Trump Administration, featuring an interactive table with the latest information. Below are some high-level stats from this data.

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Increase in prices for apparel in the short run due to new tariffs

Higher tariffs on apparel translate into real increased expenses for American consumers.

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Total number of new and modified tariff actions this year

Tariff actions taken so far in 2025 impact every single country; including those with no trade to the U.S. and trusted trading partners.

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Estimated tariff increase on apparel imports

From research by Dr. Sheng Lu. If the value of US textile and apparel imports in 2025 remains unchanged from 2024, the reciprocal tariff would result in nearly $35 billion in total tariff duties on these products—an increase of $19.9 billion compared to the current tariff levels.

See More Tariff Data

Sources: # of Trump tariff actions, Higher prices for apparel, Dr. Lu's analysis

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Reports

2025 Sourcing Trends Mid-Year Update

USFIA's 2025 Sourcing Trends Mid-Year Update is out with data from the first six months of 2025. Members can log-in to the website to download it here. 

The top 4 sourcing trends in the mid-year report are:

  1. China remains the top supplier of textiles and apparel.
  2. Asian apparel suppliers continue to dominate sourcing.
  3. Average unit values rise for yarns and apparel.
  4. Despite high duty rates, FTAs and preference programs remain underutilized.

 

2025 Mid-Year Sourcing Report: WTO's top Apparel Exporters in 2024

The European Union and China are basically tied as the largest suppliers of the world’s clothing. While China’s share of world exports has fallen since the 2010s, it manufactures 29% of apparel. The European Union – including Italy and France – ranks slightly larger as a supplier of the world’s clothing. The EU remains a strong apparel manufacturer, from the high-end fashion houses in Milan to lower cost producers. And the tariff framework agreement that limits the U.S. reciprocal tariffs means that the EU now could gain a cost advantage.

2025 USFIA Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study

This is the 12th USFIA Benchmarking Survey and unsurprisingly, fashion industry executives are more concerned with tariffs than ever. The top business challenges facing U.S. fashion companies center on the Trump Administration’s escalating tariff policy and its wide-ranging impacts on companies’ sourcing and business operations.

100% of respondents rated “Protectionist U.S. trade policies and related policy uncertainty, including the impact of the Trump tariffs” as one of their top business challenges in 2025. In taking the #1 spot, this challenge rose from #5 in 2024 and #11 in 2023, showing the increasing concern over the last few years.

Over 70% of surveyed companies reported that the higher tariffs increased sourcing costs, squeezed profit margins, and led to higher consumer prices.
Tariffs have been the most significant factor driving sourcing cost increases for U.S. fashion companies in 2025. And amid higher tariffs and policy uncertainty, about 65 percent of respondents feel optimistic about the next five years in 2025, a decline from 75 percent one year ago.

Download the complete study here, and see the highlights below:

 2025 USFIA Benchmarking Study - Respondents expressed the most concern about protectionist U.S. trade policies and their ripple effects in 2025

Higher tariffs have triggered ripple effects across supply chains.

2025 USFIA Benchmarking Study - Figure 1-3 US fashion companies reported broad economic impacts of the escalating tariffs on their sourcing and business operations

2025 USFIA Benchmarking Study - Figure 1-4 U.S. fashion companies explored various methods to mitigate the tariff impacts

 

U.S. fashion companies are actively exploring new sourcing opportunities, with a particular focus on emerging suppliers in Asia

2025 USFIA Benchmarking Study - Figure 2-20 U.S. fashion companies plan to exand apparel sourcing from emerging sourcing destinations in Asia and the rest of the world through 2027

 

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