Obama + Textiles

 

According to the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), the U.S. apparel industry employs roughly one million workers right here in the United States. Often textile mill jobs are located in rural or small southeastern communities and the average weekly pay is 13% higher than retail or service jobs, paying about $509 a week on average. With such a substantial influence on the American economy it is a relief to know that the Obama Administration has plans to protect our domestic textile industry.

According to Obama’s response to a questionnaire NCTO sent in early October, the Obama Administration is going to enforce a policy of protectionism. Protectionism includes encouraging consumerism of U.S. produced textiles, monitoring imported textiles from China especially to see if the textiles meet certain environmental and labor ethic requirements, and upholding the Berry Amendment which requires all the Defense Departments textile products to be sources from within the U.S.

Anderson Warlick, Chairman of NCTO, said: “Because of China’s long history of surging into the U.S. market, a China monitoring commitment is crucial to ensuring that the U.S. government can move quickly to prevent a damaging surge which could threaten tens of thousands of U.S. textile jobs once safeguards are removed on January 1st. Extending the current monitoring program to China is the most important trade issue facing the U.S. textile industry today.”

Keeping the majority of textile sourcing local will not only keep Americans in their jobs, but also help to decrease the carbon footprint that has grown much too large from importing.

In response to such consumer demands and policies countries may have to restructure their textile industries or look to other industry for revenue. The Mauritius government adopted a “Mauritius, a Sustainable Island” policy for the betterment of the Island. The effects are already profound. The island turned to harnessing wind and solar energy and with increased regulations upon the textile industry factories are audited regularly.

The intentional green consciousness of the Obama Administration seems to have a lovely impact on not only the U.S. textile industry but the global industry as well. What beautiful policy. GANDRUD

National Council of Textile Organizations

Letter from Obama to the National Council of Textile Organizations