US' NCTO slams Bessent's dismissal of textile industry value

In a letter addressed to Bessent, NCTO president and chief executive officer Kimberly Glas said the US textile industry made life-saving personal protective equipment during the first Donald Trump administration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and makes over 8,000 different products for the US military alone to ensure the country does not have to rely on foreign adversaries to make essential products.

“The US textile industry provides much-needed employment in rural areas and has functioned as a springboard for workers out of poverty into good-paying jobs for generations, including in your home state of South Carolina,” the letter said.

The US textile supply chain directly employed 471,000 workers last year and produced shipments of man-made fibre, yarns, fabrics, apparel and non-apparel sewn products valued at $64 billion, it said.

The United States exported $28 billion worth of textile-related goods to global markets in 2024, making it the second largest exporter of textile and apparel products in the world, the letter observed.

“This vibrant production supply chain with our closest trading partners competes directly against imports from China and other countries in Asia that often deploy unfair, predatory trade practices, such as subsidised production, dumped exports, intellectual property theft, undervalued currency, abhorrent labor abuses, and unsustainable environmental practices,” Glas wrote.

NCTO requested Bessent to convene a meeting to discuss the critical nature of the US textile industry and how the administration can help this key supply chain onshore jobs.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)