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Fashion made possible by global trade

Fashion made possible by global trade

Fashion made possible by global trade

Western Hemisphere

  • World Footwear: US imposes 25% tariffs on Brazilian goods, raising concerns in the footwear industry

    On a 20 July deadline, World Footwear reports on the recent 25% tariffs on Brazililian goods. 

    World Footwear | July 20, 2026

    The following is an excerpt...

     

    Those who spoke out against the tariff on Brazilian footwear included representatives from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) and the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA), as well as US importers and retailers such as JPT Group LLC, Bernardo Footwear and Dillard’s Inc.

     

    Read the full article here

  • World Footwear: US trade associations urge Trump Administration to restore ILO funding

    On a 10 September deadline, World Footwear reports on the recent industry effort urging the Trump administration to restore funding for the International Labour Organization (ILO), warning that reduced involvement could weaken US influence over global labour standards. 

    World Footwear | July 20, 2026

     In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) and other organisations representing business, agriculture, industry and retail* called for the immediate restoration and continuation of US funding and participation in the ILO.

    The coalition stated that the ILO assists countries in implementing and enforcing internationally recognised labour standards, including measures to combat forced labour, “which is an administration priority”, as demonstrated by the recent Section 301 actions on forced labor and the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and the US Forced Labor Statute (Section 1307)”.

    They also highlighted the ILO’s role in training foreign workers, its presence in major sourcing countries, and its Better Work programme, which promotes labour enforcement and transparency.

    According to the letter, these activities support US efforts to tackle forced labour, while also helping to create a fairer competitive environment for American companies and workers.

    “A US withdrawal from the ILO would cede control of and leadership at the ILO to countries that do not share American values or the ILO’s fundamental principles and rights at work”, the organisations warned. “Instead”, they added, “these countries could use the ILO to tilt the playing field against American businesses and American workers, weakening the ILO’s focus on combatting forced labor and undermining the US-built ILO core international labor standards”.

    They emphasised that US business will also lose their voting rights at the International Labour Conference (ILC), which could have an adverse effect on their global influence and competitiveness.

    While acknowledging the need for reforms to improve the ILO’s management, the groups said that the costs of a US withdrawal would outweigh the benefits, urging the administration to continue US participation and funding.

    *Signatories: American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), Fair Labor Association (FLA), Global Seafood Alliance, National Fisheries Institute (NFI), National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), National Retail Federation (NRF), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), US Chamber of Commerce, US Council for International Business (USCIB), US Fashion Industry Association (USFIA)

    Read the full article here

  • Yahoo Finance: US textile and apparel bodies urge adoption of new incentive programme

    On a 7 July deadline, Yahoo Finance reports on the recent joint proposal from USFIA for a tariff credit program:

    Jangoulun Singsit | July 7, 2026

    The following is an excerpt....

     

    The joint proposal was submitted to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) by the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA), and the US Industrial and Narrow Fabrics Institute (USINFI).

    This collaboration marks the first instance in which these groups, traditionally known for holding divergent trade policy views, have united in support of a single trade initiative.

    In the submission, the organisations emphasised objectives such as encouraging domestic manufacturing, strengthening Western Hemisphere textile and apparel supply chains, and assisting brands and retailers to diversify sourcing strategies at what they described as a critical juncture.

    The incentive programme, according to the joint statement, would allow brands and retailers to earn tariff credits when purchasing US textiles and approved apparel goods from US free trade agreement partners in the Western Hemisphere.

    These credits could then be used to offset potential Section 301 tariffs imposed on imports from eligible countries.

    The industry groups argue that the adoption of their programme would deliver "the revitalisation and growth of US textile manufacturing, exports, and investment, resulting in over 56,000 new jobs" domestically.

    Furthermore, increased exports are projected to "drive billions of dollars of new domestic investment" and provide benefits throughout the wider supply chain, including the cotton farming sector.

    Their proposal was formally presented as a response to a mechanism advanced by USTR as part of the ongoing Section 301 investigations into forced labour practices in global supply chains.

    The submission stated that the new approach had been jointly devised as a way to address priorities shared by manufacturers and buyers across the US market.

    "Our joint efforts have resulted in the development of a novel trade incentive programme that would achieve various important goals," the organisations noted, referencing new job creation and sector growth as key expected outcomes.

    They added: "We believe with the right incentives we can grow jobs substantially in the United States, reopen shuttered factories, and make the critical investments needed to maintain and to grow America's textile industry by also helping brands and retailers find new opportunities. As such, we respectfully request the United States Trade Representative to consider including our proposed incentive program as a component of any remedy that results from the Section 301 investigations currently underway."

    "US textile and apparel bodies urge adoption of new incentive programme" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand.

     

    Read the full article here

  • Yahoo Shopping: Shoppers flock to thrift stores to combat rising prices

    On a 18 June deadline, the Florida Times-Union reports on the recent push for second-hand shopping by financially-strained consumers:

    Amelia Espinales | June 18, 2026

    The following is an excerpt....

     

    According to a 2025 resale report from Thredup, an online thrift shop, the global secondhand apparel market is expected to hit $367 billion by 2029 and is growing 2.7 times faster than the overall global apparel market. According to the report, government policies around tariffs and trade are expected to provide a healthy tailwind to secondhand apparel with 62% of consumers saying they are concerned that new government policies around tariffs and trade will make apparel more expensive and 59% of consumers said if new government policies surrounding tariffs and trade make apparel more expensive, they will seek more affordable options, such as secondhand goods.

    With the recent surges of prices due to rising tariffs and inflation, communities are turning to the secondhand clothing market. According to a 2025 study report from the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA), more than 98% of clothing sold in the United States is imported, making the fashion industry specifically more vulnerable to tariff increases.

    As the cost of a new wardrobe rises, some shoppers are turning to resellers and thrift stores as a cheaper alternative to save money dealing with rising retail prices. Florida alone is witnessing an influx of retail shoppers turning to secondhand shopping. According to statistics provided by Starto.io, in Florida, households with incomes less than $25,000 make up 36.5% of customers that thrift. Younger shoppers are also starting to dominate the thrifting scene, with 40.4% of 18–24-year-olds making up these shoppers rushing to secondhand stores in Florida.

     

    Read the full article here

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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
Learn About the Fashion Industry
Attend Our Events

 

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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10
Current baseline tariff on all trading partners

Imposed under Section 122, these temporary tariffs are set to expire on July 24, 2026.

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60
Countries threatened with Section 301 forced labor tariffs

A new 10% or 12.5% tariff on 60 U.S. trading partners under USTR's Section 301 forced labor investigation.

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121.7
in potential and certified refunds accepted in CAPE

CBP has accepted over a hundred billion in potentials and certified refunds since opening CAPE as of July 10, 2026.

Read our latest stories on tariffs

Events

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Better Cotton Initiative: Evolution to a Regenerative Standard

Better Cotton Initiative: Evolution to a Regenerative Standard

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October 22, 2026
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Reports

2026 USFIA Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study

The 2026 USFIA Fashion Industry Benchmarking study is now available to the public! Key findings from the report include:

  • The top business challenges facing U.S. fashion companies continue to center on the Trump Administration’s tariff policies, though concerns over inflation and increasing costs have also risen since 2025. 
  • 92% of respondents rated “Protectionist U.S. trade policies and related policy uncertainty, including the impact of the Trump tariffs” as one of their top two business challenges in 2026.
  • Among business concerns, managing forced-labor risks emerged as a significantly higher priority, rising from tenth place in 2025 to sixth place in 2026 and illustrating the industry's commitment to eradicating forced labor from their supply chains.
  • The job market is a bright spot. About 87% of companies plan to increase hiring over the next five years, up from last year and tying the highest level since the pandemic. Demand is expected to be strongest for data scientists, trade compliance specialists, and environmental sustainability specialists
  • AI is becoming increasingly integrated into apparel sourcing and business operations. 56% utilize AI for "demand forecasting and inventory planning," while 50% use it for "sustainability tracking," "risk management" and “sourcing strategy and cost optimization.”

Download the 2026 study here.

If you're interested in sharing your company's perspective for our 2027 study, fill out the interest form.

 Benchmarking 2026 top business challenges

Higher tariffs continue to trigger ripple effects across supply chains.

Figure 1-3 U.S. fashion companies reported deepened economic impacts of tariff hikes and policy uncertainties on their sourcing and business operations

Figure 1-4 U.S. fashion companies explored various methods to mitigate the evolving impacts of tariff hikes and policy uncertainties

 

Trends to watch: 

AI use could become increasingly prevalent in apparel sourcing as companies seek new technologies to improve operational efficiency and navigate a more complex, uncertain sourcing environment.Figure 2-24 AI is increasingly integrated into apparel sourcing and business operations

 

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.

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