Welcome to Off the Cuff, USFIA’s member newsletter that highlights innovation and creativity from USFIA members and Partners.
As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look back. This is the final edition of Off the Cuff and we have a lot to celebrate. Your dedication and engagement are key to USFIA’s efforts in breaking down trade barriers and providing crucial insights to the fashion industry. Thank you for being an essential part of Fashion Made Possible by Global Trade.
We are committed to bringing our members quality programming, providing the latest news and intelligence, and advocating for the policies that support the fashion industry. Here’s what that looked like during 2024:
USFIA Events
We love the opportunity to see our members in person!
We started the year with another sold out Fashion Forward event in San Francisco dedicated to customs issues. Key topics included best practices for working with the Apparel, Footwear, and Textiles CEE, how to maximize value in trade operations, a west coast logistics update, how to use public and commercial data to prepare for the changing regulatory environment, and insights about forced labor due diligence. Our July Washington Trade Symposium, held at the Capitol Visitors Center in DC, featured government speakers from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Economic Council, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. We returned to New York City in November for the Apparel Classification Workshop with CBP and GEODIS and the 36th annual Apparel Importers Trade & Transportation Conference. This year the election was the main topic of conversation, in addition to in-depth discussions about the outlook for the fashion industry – from customs and trade policy to the future of enforcement for textiles and UFLPA, and industry insights about sourcing, traceability, and sustainability.
Government Speakers at this year’s USFIA events:
- Eric Batt, Center Director, Apparel, Footwear, and Textiles Center, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Tyler Beckelman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, Materials Industries, Critical Minerals and Metals, Department of Commerce
- Alice Buchanan, Assistant Center Director, Apparel, Footwear, and Textiles Center, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Monica Gorman, Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Industrial Policy,
National Economic Council - AnnMarie Highsmith, Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Tasha Reid Hippolyte, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Competitiveness, Department of Homeland Security
- Brian Hoxie, Director of the Forced Labor Division, Trade Remedy Law Enforcement Directorate, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Arthur Laciak, eFiling Program Specialist, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Felicia Pullam, Executive Director, Office of Trade Relations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Katherine White, Chief Textiles and Apparel Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade Representative
Number of USFIA Webinars: 18. While we love to meet in person, one of the most important ways we reach USFIA members is through our webinars. Our goal is sharing key expertise from industry experts and solutions for the major issues facing the fashion industry.
Top 5 Webinars by attendance:
- Navigating EU Regulations: A Guide for US Fashion Brands with Pauline God, Policy and Partnership Manager at TrusTrace, Jenny Wärn, Director of Product Operations of TrusTrace, and Olivia Fulton, an Associate in the Mishcon de Raya Commercial team.
- Will the Apparel Market Ever Recover? with Gherzi Texil Organisation’s USA Partner Bob Antoshak
- Sourcing Trends & Challenges in 2024: Highlights from USFIA’s Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study with Dr. Sheng Lu, Professor in the Fashion and Apparel Studies Department at the University of Delaware
- Compliance is Always in Fashion: What You Need to Know about the Lacey Act with Ashley Amidon, Executive Director of the International Wood Products Association
- Renewcell: A Springboard Not a Hurdle with Carol Steuri, Senior Corporate Campaigner at Canopy, and Magnus Lundmark, CEO of Circulose
Industry Intelligence
USFIA is committed to providing the latest news and intelligence to the industry. In 2024, we sent 175 Fashion Intel & Analysis emails – including 14 breaking news alerts – in 245 business days (approximately one FIA every other day) in addition to 12 Customs Overviews and 12 Off the Cuff Newsletters.
Focus Issue of 2024
While the focus for 2025 is on tariffs and potential trade wars, during 2024 the main priority issue for USFIA members has been Forced Labor. It is not a new topic – WROs and the UFLPA have been priorities for several years. But the concerns remain the same – brands and retailers are focused on traceability and compliance to guarantee there is no forced labor in the supply chain.
Participants in the 2024 Benchmarking Survey told us the priorities this year to manage forced labor risks.
- More than 90% of respondents reported they are making more efforts to map and understand our supply chain, including the sources of fibers and yarns contained in finished products,
- 83% intentionally reduced sourcing from high-risk countries, and
- 75% work closely with industry associations like USFIA to get the latest policy updates or attend educational events to learn about industry best practices.
Of course, managing forced labor risks is not just an issue in U.S. supply chains. We will continue to support enforcement strategies that emphasize due diligence over detention, and this will remain one of the top priorities for the year ahead.
How USFIA Is Supporting Members
USFIA remains committed to helping members navigate these challenges. We are focused on education and on advocacy efforts. One important element for advocacy is to bring together the policymakers with USFIA members. At all of our events we invite government officials to speak publicly and privately to brands and retailers.
Behind the scenes, USFIA actively engages with all FLETF agencies, advocating for greater transparency and targeted enforcement of the UFLPA. We also work closely with association partners in Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. And critical for informed discussion is the information provided by USFIA’s partners.
This is an industry issue, and we are stronger together with industry coalitions. We are active in the Forced Labor Working Group (FLWG), led by USFIA, AAFA, NRF, and RILA. We provided input to the Administration throughout the year as well as recommendations for the DHS Textile Enforcement Plan, promoting a transparent, multi-stakeholder approach that fosters collaboration between brands, retailers, and regulators.
Looking ahead to 2025, USFIA will continue to bring members educational information and opportunities to meet with the key decision-makers in the new Administration. We value your insights and encourage you to share your experiences and recommendations with us so we can continue to tackle this critical challenge together.
Other Key Issues
USFIA is engaged on a wide range of issues that affect the fashion industry. Here are just a few of those activities.
Renewing Key Trade Preference Programs: USFIA joined several joint association letters to Congress urging the renewal of AGOA, GSP, and Haiti HOPE/HELP, including our most recent letter in late November. USFIA President Julia Hughes spoke with Just Style about the importance of early AGOA renewal and Fibre2Fashion covered a March industry letter requesting Haiti HOPE/HELP renewal. USFIA also joined more than 300 other industry associations in signing the Coalition for GSP’s letter to Senate Finance Committee Leadership.
USFIA testified at an ITC hearing on AGOA’s program usage, trends, and sectoral highlights and USTR’s 2025 AGOA Eligibility Hearing.
APEP: USFIA filed comments with USTR on ways that the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity-Trade Track can promote supply chain resilience and inclusive trade. USFIA supports the “tremendous success” of the cumulation provision in CAFTA-DR and encourages USTR to extend that trade benefit to all APEP countries with which the U.S. has an FTA. USFIA also advocated for regulatory harmonization and especially tariff reductions, writing that the “time-worn, decades old U.S. trade policy of imposing high tariffs on clothing is a prime example of a trade policy that favors special interests at the expense of Americans who can least afford it.”
ITC Apparel Competitiveness Study: USFIA testified at the U.S. International Trade Commission hearing on Apparel: Export Competitiveness of Certain Foreign Suppliers to the United States, which covered the apparel industries in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan. USFIA’s testimony highlighted the key factors that sourcing executives from apparel brands and retailers analyze when choosing suppliers: global risk assessments, sustainability, vertical integration, scale, logistics and the traditional elements of quality, speed and cost. USFIA invited the ITC analysts to speak at a Board meeting as they prepared the report, and they presented their findings to our members at a webinar in October.
Supply Chain: USFIA joined several joint association letters to ensure a safe and efficient supply chain. We called for secure travel on the Red Sea at the beginning of the year, requested that the Biden Administration help facilitate contract negotiations between ILA and USMX this fall, urged ILA and USMX to resume contract negotiations earlier this month. We are working on a letter to President-elect Trump in early January.
U.S. Trade Policy: USFIA joined more than 50 industry associations across the economy in a joint letter to Jacob Sullivan, Director of the National Security Council, and Lael Brainard, Director of the National Economic Council, calling on the Biden Administration to pursue a comprehensive U.S. trade policy that enhances economic growth and strengthens national security and to reengage in meaningful trade negotiations with allies and partners to address the rising trade barriers.
USFIA also joined 19 other associations in a letter to the Financial Times, pushing back to an op-ed by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. The letter was picked up by Just Style.
Industry Events and Presentations
Here are some of the major industry events USFIA participated in this year:
- DHS Private Sector Office Quarterly Industry Meetings on Trade and Economic Security and the FLETF UFLPA Private Sector Biannual Meeting
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection 21CCF Task Force
- SOURCING at MAGIC’s February 2024 VIP Executive Summit: USFIA President Julia Hughes moderated a panel on Politics & Trade that features Acting AUSTR for Textiles Laurie-Ann Agama and Josh Teitelbaum, Special Counsel at Akin International Trade.
- SOURCING at MAGIC Las Vegas: USFIA President Julie Hughes moderated a discussion at the August 2024 Sourcing at MAGIC VIP Executive Summit. Speakers included USFIA’s Washington Counsel David Spooner on politics and trade and CBP’s Office of Trade Relations Executive Director Felicia Pullam sharing the CBP priorities, especially UFLPA enforcement and the Green Trade strategy.
- USFIA Washington Counsel David Spooner discussed the U.S. Trade Policy and Election Outlook for 2024 and USFIA President Julia Hughes highlighted the 2024 Sourcing and Brand Outlook during a Chamber of the Textile, Clothing, and Free Trade Zones of El Salvador (CAMTEX) webinar on February 22.
One important aspect of advocacy in D.C. is to work with allies to create coalitions. Coalition activities are an important element in USFIA's efforts, and we want to share with you some of the important coalitions we worked with during 2024.
- Americans for Free Trade
- Coalition for Economic Partnership in the Americas
- Cotton Campaign
- Forced Labor Working Group
- G7 Circular Fashion Alliance
- Global Trade Coalition
- GSP Coalition
- ILO Forum for Business Initiatives
- Partnership for Central America
- Tariff Reform Coalition
- Trade Support Network
- U.S. Global Value Coalition
USFIA Events
January 9, 2025 (Online): USFIA’s members-only January State of the Industry webinar. You will hear updates from USFIA’s Washington Counsel David Spooner, Customs Consultant John Pellegrini, and USFIA’s 2025 Partners. Start the year with the latest intelligence and insights.
January 16, 2025 (Online): AI: Innovation or Deepfake with Gherzi Texil Organization’s USA Partner, Bob Antoshak. Will AI unlock new realms of sustainable production, personalized design, and market adaptability? Or will the industry grapple with unforeseen consequences? The future of fashion, powered by AI, is as exciting as it is uncertain—and the choices made today will define the look and feel of tomorrow.
February 11, 2025 (Online) – OECD Side Session U.S. Fashion Companies’ Shifting Sourcing Strategies and Outlook for 2025: What Does It Mean for Due Diligence in the Garment Industry?
February 13, 2025 – Fashion Forward 2025 in Seattle, WA. Start the new year off with expert insights from Trade Remedy Law Enforcement Executive Director Eric Choy, the leadership team from the Apparel, Footwear, and Textiles Center - Center Director Eric Batt and Assistant Director Alice Buchanan, and USFIA Washington Counsel David Spooner.
February 20, 2025 (Online): Navigating Regulations and Compliance Under the New Administration. Join TrusTrace and Deleon Trade for an insightful webinar on how the new presidential administration taking office in January 2025 could impact the fashion industry. This session will dive into critical topics such as trade policies, tariffs, and supply chain dynamics, offering valuable perspectives on navigating evolving regulations and managing compliance over the next four years.
July 16, 2025 – Save the date for our Washington Trade Symposium in Washington, DC.
November 5, 2025 - Save the date for our Apparel Importers Trade & Transportation Conference in NYC.
Industry Events
January 21-23, 2025: TexWorld NYC at the Javits Center.
February 10-12, 2025: Sourcing at MAGIC Las Vegas.
February 11, 2025: Sourcing at MAGIC VIP Executive Summit, featuring USFIA President Julia Hughes, PwC Retail Leader Kelly Peterson, and Akin Gump Senior Counsel Josh Teitelbaum as speakers.
February 14-17, 2025: Bharat Tex 2025 in New Delhi. USFIA members are invited to attend, please contact
May 6-8, 2025: Save the Date for CBP’s 2025 Trade Facilitation and Cargo Summit at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
Want to share what your company is doing? Email Stephanie Gauzens (