Editorial: Can the USA reshore its apparel industry?
Description
The US apparel industry has declined significantly over the years as globalisation has surged, trade liberalisation has accelerated and production has shifted overseas. As a result, the US apparel manufacturing workforce has declined by over 90% since 1990. Furthermore, approximately 97% of clothing and footwear sold in the USA is now imported—mainly from low-wage countries such as Bangladesh, China and Vietnam where production costs are low. Today, however, the political climate has shifted. The appetite for trade liberalisation has waned, consumer expectations are changing, and globalisation is threatening to go into reverse as President Trump vows to restore US manufacturing as part of his Make America Great Again (MAGA) campaign. In this climate, questions are being asked as to whether apparel manufacturing can be brought back to the USA in a process known as “reshoring”. However, the task of reshoring is faced with multiple challenges, including higher domestic production costs, lack of infrastructure and supply chain dependency. For example, even though a garment might be sewn in the USA, the fabric, threads, zippers, and buttons often originate overseas. Despite the challenges, several trends are converging to create momentum for domestic manufacturing. Chief among these is a shift in consumer demand in favour of products which are “ethically made” and environmentally sustainable. Meanwhile, the viability of US domestic manufacture is being improved by the implementation of US federal initiatives and technological advances—especially those which reduce the amount of labour required for garment production. In fact, some companies have already demonstrated that domestic manufacturing is viable, including American Giant, Ministry of Supply and Reformation.
Table of Contents
8 Pages
- INTRODUCTION
- GROWTH OF “OFFSHORING” IN THE APPAREL SECTOR
- CHALLENGES FACING RESHORING
- EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES AND THE MOMENTUM BEHIND RESHORING
- CASE STUDIES IN DOMESTIC APPAREL PRODUCTION
- ROLE OF US TRADE POLICY AND POLITICAL DYNAMICS
- OUTLOOK: CAUTIOUS BUT EVOLVING
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