Quality – A Mill Priority
The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) is the voice of the U.S. domestic textile industry in Washington, DC. With more than 150 current members, NCTO represents manufacturers from every major sector of the industry, including fiber, yarn, fabric, home furnishings and finished apparel producers. NCTO is focused on influencing federal policies, programs and regulations that advance the interests of the U.S. textile sector.
High-quality cotton is of the utmost importance to the textile industry, and, in particular, yarn spinners. It is fortunate that the United States produces the best quality cotton in the world. The ease of access and price of quality cotton in this country has helped to create a surge of foreign direct investment into the production of yarn spinning here over the past year.
As a whole, mills are experiencing a resurgence due to many factors, including availability of high-quality cotton, competitive energy and transportation costs.
NCTO has witnessed five foreign companies making announcements of their intentions to set up yarn spinning operations in the United States this year. Our organization continues to see domestic yarn spinners expand operations, build new operations and continue to hire more American workers during this same time period.
High-quality cotton is of the utmost importance to the U.S. textile industry, and, in particular, yarn spinners”
Momentum Continues
Over the past 25 years, the United States has completed a series of free-trade agreements that include a yarn forward rule of origin* for textile and apparel products.
This rule has helped the U.S. textile industry become the third largest exporter of textile products in the world. Over the past 10 years, U.S. textile exports have grown dramatically, from $12.7 billion in 2003 to $17.9 billion in 2013 – a 40.6 percent increase over that period. High-quality cotton, paired with the yarn forward rule, will help the textile industry attract foreign direct investment.
It is critical that free trade agreements, such as the Trans- Pacific Partnership, include the yarn forward rule to further advance the industry in the global sourcing arena.
* Yarn Forward Rule of Origin is a tariff break for imported apparel made with U.S. yarn.