Contact: Samantha Sault, 202-419-0474 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For Immediate Release                                                             

WASHINGTON - The United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) and the American Import Shippers Association (AISA) will host the 24th Annual Textile & Apparel Importer Trade & Transportation Conference on Wednesday, January 9th in New York. The conference was rescheduled out of respect for our sponsors and members dealing with Hurricane Sandy. As previously noted, the conference will feature top policymakers and U.S. and international industry experts speaking on topics including the trade policy outlook for the new Administration, the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), and sourcing opportunities and challenges in Egypt, China, and the Western Hemisphere, among other topics.

U.S. Customs & Border Protection Assistant Commissioner Al Gina will provide the lunch keynote, while Consumer Products Safety Commissioner Nancy Nord will provide the regulatory issues keynote. Additional Administration speakers include Kim Glas, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles and Apparel at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and John Leonard, Acting Executive Director of Trade Policy & Programs at U.S. Customs & Border Protection.

“This has been a dynamic year for trade, with the implementation of the Korea and Colombia Free Trade Agreements, the continuation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, the development of the U.S. Customs Centers for Excellence and Expertise, not to mention the upcoming U.S. elections,” says Julia K. Hughes, President of USA-ITA. “It’s critical for the industry to stay up to date on what’s new and what could happen next.” Hughes will moderate the day’s discussions along with Hubert Wiesenmaier, Executive Director of AISA.

The conference will bring together several hundred professionals in trade, sourcing, compliance, and logistics at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers. The conference will also feature an exhibition hall showcasing leading supply-chain providers. For more information, visit www.usaita.com.

To attend or schedule an interview with one of our speakers, please contact USA-ITA Director of Communications Samantha Sault at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 202-419-0474.

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The United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) was established in January 1989 by nine companies with a vision to create a unified voice for textile and apparel importers across the country.   USA-ITA provides education, information, and advocacy to executives active in textile and apparel sourcing, importing, compliance, and logistics. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA-ITA represents the needs of American retailers, brands and importers, as well as related service providers, with the objective to remove barriers to business and to trade.