Following the release of the USFIA Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study, USFIA President Julia Hughes wrote an op-ed for Sourcing Journal about industry executives’ top concern this year: trade protectionism. Click here to read the op-ed on the Sourcing Journal website.
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.
Fashion Intel & Analysis
Fashion Intel & Analysis
Fashion Intel & Analysis
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.
Higher tariffs on apparel translate into real increased expenses for American consumers.
Tariff actions taken so far in 2025 impact every single country; including those with no trade to the U.S. and trusted trading partners.
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.
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:
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.
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:
