FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 4, 2025
We are disappointed that the Trump Administration moved forward to impose new tariffs on our major trading partners. These tariffs ignore the complex Western Hemisphere supply chains and close trade ties created by textile and apparel companies during the more than 30 years since a regional free trade agreement first went into effect.
The “Made in” label only tells part of a garment’s story. The journey of a simple cotton t-shirt is complex -- from design and production to logistics and distribution. The Western Hemisphere’s apparel and textile supply chain is deeply intertwined and retaliation will hurt Americans -especially farmers, retailers and consumers. For example U.S. cotton supplies about 60% of Mexico’s textile production needs, according to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. U.S. government data also shows that in 2024, $3.1 billion (or 3%) of U.S. apparel imports came from our USMCA partners, Canada and Mexico.
Apparel and textile products already face some of the highest tariff rates of any U.S. imports, reaching as high as 32%. There will be a major impact on costs and inflation from the 20% additional tariffs on imports from China. China is the top supplier of apparel to the U.S. consumer. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, American businesses and consumers have already paid $220 billion in additional tariffs under the China Section 301 from the first Trump Administration.
We urge the President and Administration trade officials to reconsider these tariffs and focus on supporting American families and American companies with lower costs and the benefits of trade.
USFIA Media Contact:
Stephanie Gauzens
###
About the United States Fashion Industry Association
The United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) is dedicated to fashion made possible by global trade. USFIA represents textile and apparel brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers based in the United States and doing business globally; working to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers that impede the industry’s ability to trade freely and create economic opportunities in the United States and abroad with the goal of doing what we can to make the world a better place for our customers, our colleagues, and our suppliers.