By Poorna Rodrigo
...Another issue raised during MAGIC was the fact that the majority of the fabrics used to manufacture high-end apparel are imported.
"So clearly one way that the Obama administration and the US Congress can support 'Made in the USA' is to eliminate the duties on imported inputs like yarns and fabrics," [USA-ITA President Julia K.] Hughes explains. Such a move would "go a long way to support sewing operations" in the US.
Hughes however believes the status quo of a majority of garments being imports will not "change substantially."
Decades of "restrictive quotas and high duty rates forced many companies to look for manufacturers off-shore" while labour costs also have a big impact on the sourcing of apparel.
Click here to read the entire article on the Just Style website.