US' NCTO applauds Trump's tariffs, trade enforcement measures

In a statement issued by NCTO president and CEO Kim Glas, the organisation welcomed the plan, which includes preserving duty-free trade under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and strengthening enforcement against predatory practices by countries such as China and Vietnam.

“We strongly commend President Trump and his administration on their tariff reciprocity plan to finally begin rebalancing America’s trade positioning,” said Glas. “This is a critical step for the 471,000 workers employed in the US textile industry.”

The NCTO praised the administration’s decision to maintain duty-free access for compliant imports from Mexico and Canada. These countries account for 53 per cent of US global textile exports, valued at $12.3 billion. The two-way trade, worth $20 billion annually, plays a pivotal role in the American textile supply chain.

Glas highlighted the importance of continuing to penalise unfair trade practices by China, Vietnam, and other Asian nations. She urged the administration to maintain long-term tariffs on finished textile and apparel products from these countries to help level the playing field for domestic manufacturers.

The NCTO also called for the continuation of duty-free treatment for countries under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), which supports 2.6 million jobs and represents $34 billion in annual two-way trade.

Additionally, Glas applauded the Trump administration’s plans to close the de minimis loophole, which allows an estimated 4 million shipments per day into the U.S. without duties or inspection—many of which are textile and apparel items. “NCTO has long called for the closure of this destructive loophole,” she said.

In conclusion, Glas reaffirmed the industry’s support for a robust enforcement strategy. “If aggressively enforced and paired with long-term certainty, there is a huge opportunity to reshore production and grow jobs in the United States,” she added.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (KD)