Fashion made possible by global trade
Fashion made possible by global trade
Fashion made possible by global trade
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.
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Fashion Intel & Analysis
This is the eleventh USFIA Benchmarking Survey and again fashion industry sourcing executives face a litany of challenges. Concern over the economy and inflation, as well as eliminating forced labor, continue to be top concerns in the U.S. fashion industry. This year's respondenents also report an elevated level of concern about the impact of shipping and supply chain disruptions as well as geopolitical tensions.
New for this year is a sharp increase in sourcing executives who are concerned about the protectionist trade policy agenda in the United States, with 45% ranking it a top-5 business challenge, compared with just 15% last year.
Download the complete study here, and see the highlights below:
USFIA's 2024 Mid-Year Sourcing Trends & Outlook Report is out. Members can log-in to the website to download it here.
The top 4 sourcing trends in the mid-year report are:
The mid-year report includes a special section with global trade data prepared by Dr. Sheng Lu, professor in the Fashion and Apparel Studies Department at the University of Delaware. Dr. Lu's findings include the latest changes in China's market share of world textile and clothing exports.
Pattern #2: While China remained the world’s largest clothing exporter in 2023, rising geopolitical tensions and Western fashion companies’ ongoing de-risking efforts pose increasing challenges to its export outlook.
When it comes to apparel, Asian suppliers continue to dominate the U.S. market.
The top seven suppliers ship 76% of total apparel imports. We also see more consolidation of imports from the largest apparel suppliers.
China and Vietnam are the only countries with a double-digit market share, and they supply just under one-half (49.8%) of apparel imports.