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Fashion made possible by global trade

Fashion made possible by global trade

Fashion made possible by global trade

Reports&Analysis

  • Understanding Import Tariffs Under WTO Law

    The European Parliamentary Research Service published an At A Glance report on understanding import tariffs under WTO law. The report includes information about multilateral tariff negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the principle of setting tariff ceilings in WTO embers’ individual tariff schedules, and most-favored nation tariff concessions and exemptions. We share the table below showing examples of bound tariff and MFN tariff rates:

    EU WTO tariff chart

  • World Shipping Council Analyzes Economic Impact of 301 Shipbuilding Actions

    As USFIA members know, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that the government will begin charging fees per net ton or ship rotation (whichever is higher) on October 14, 2025, and those fees will continue to increase annually on April 17 until 2028. We have two economic impact analyses to share with you that help put these fees in perspective.

    The World Shipping Council is calling on USTR to reconsider the shipbuilding fees due to the harm it will cause to U.S. exporters, farmers, and manufacturers. As part of their webpage on the USTR Shipping Fees, they share a graphical economic impact analysis of the announced fees per ship rotation from October 2025 through April 2028, which shows the new service fees that shipping lines can expect to pay. A 25,000 net tonnage vessel would face fees starting at $1.25 million in October, while a larger 75,000 net tonnage vessel would be looking at $3.75 million.

    These fees could have far-reaching ripples, as S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Economic Impact Analysis for WSC and the Pacific Merchants Shipping Association helps illustrate. The Liner Shipping industry directly supported over 169,000 jobs and $77.1 billion in revenue for businesses operating at U.S. ports in 2023, the most recent year for which annual results were available. The Liner Shipping industry also indirectly supported 631.5 thousand jobs, $117 billion in GDP, and $27 billion in government revenue when the whole supply chain is included. If you extend the analysis to all the inputs and components used by U.S. businesses, the Liner Shipping industry supported 5.7 million jobs and $1 trillion in GDP.

    WSC 4.28.25

    This analysis was based on the 18,461 liner ship calls at U.S. ports in 2023.

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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

The State of Tariffs

President Trump has made sweeping changes to U.S. tariffs since he began his second term in January 2025. From the Liberation Day tariffs to the various Section 122 and 301 investigations and tariffs, U.S. trade has shifted more in the past year than almost anytime in history. USFIA is pleased to provide the following resources to those wanting to learn more about the state of tariffs in 2026.

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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.

Events

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FibreTrace Proof Over Promise Webinar

Proof Over Promise: Defending Brand Reputation Against Counterfeiting, Fraud, and Supply Chain Deception

Virtual
REGISTER NOW

June 11, 2026
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Reports

2026 Sourcing Trends & Outlook

USFIA's 2026 Sourcing Trends & Outlook is out with data from the full year of 2025. Members can log-in to the website to download it here. 

This is the thirteenth USFIA Sourcing Trends & Outlook Report, our annual look at the sourcing landscape for the fashion industry. 2025 will be remembered as the year of the Trump tariffs. U.S. imports fell as brands and retailers had to navigate a new level of uncertainty for sourcing and for costs. The reciprocal tariffs affected all countries, except for USMCA-qualifying production from Canada and Mexico.

As we look ahead to 2026, there still is a lot of uncertainty. The reciprocal tariffs were struck down by the Supreme Court, but the Trump Administration still is committed to impose tariffs above the MFN rates. The global tariffs imposed under Section 122 expire on July 24th and Administration officials say they will use other trade laws such as Section 301 and Section 232 to authorize more tariffs.

Even with the tariff disruptions, some of the major sourcing trends remain the same as in recent years. Asian suppliers continue to dominate apparel sourcing. The top seven apparel suppliers are China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan, and they ship 78% of apparel imports.

The top 5 sourcing trends in the report are:

  1. Asian apparel suppliers continue to dominate sourcing.
  2. China maintains its role as the top apparel supplier by quantity, and Vietnam is the top supplier by value.
  3. Average unit values for textiles and apparel imports had only modest increases.
  4. Some of the fastest growth in 2025 comes from major apparel suppliers.
  5. Despite tariff disruptions, FTAs and preference programs remain underutilized. CAFTA remains the major duty-free supplier.

 

While U.S. apparel imports decreased from many suppliers, there still are some clear winners from the tariff disruptions. Five of the top ten suppliers had double digit increases. Some of the fastest-growing suppliers are Asian-based apparel industries that took market share from China.

sourcing2026 fastest growing apparel suppliers

 

sourcing2026 applied tariff rates

Chart courtesy of Dr. Sheng Lu, Professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, University of Delaware.

2025 USFIA Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study

The 2026 USFIA Fashion Industry Benchmarking study is currently underway. If you're interested in sharing your company's perspective, fill out our interest form and we'll contact you soon.

Download the 2025 study here.

Partners

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