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Office of Textiles and Apparel
Dedicated to increasing the international competitiveness of the U.S. fiber, textile, apparel, footwear, and travel goods industries
Trade Data Page

Trade News and Events

Announcements

  • 06/06/2024 – April 2024 Textile and Apparel Import Report
  • 06/03/2024 – The Department of Commerce seeks public comment to inform its work on assessing and analyzing risk in global supply chains. This includes input into a determination of an initial list of “critical sectors” and “key goods” as provided under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement Relating to Supply Chain Resilience (Supply Chain Agreement). In addition, will also inform other analytical tools and methodologies developed by ITA’s Industry & Analysis unit to support resilient supply chains for U.S. industry. Public comments are open through Friday, June 21. For more information see 89 FR 47536.
  • 05/30/2024 – China has announced export controls restricting exports to the United States on Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers and yarns (China HTS - 5402.49.1010, 5501.90.0010, 5503.90.9010, 5806.40.9010). For more information see Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China Policy Release. If your business is affected by the export controls on UHMWPE, please contact Thomas Newberg and Marin Weaver.
  • 05/30/2024 – The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has determined to provide a 14-day transition period for all current 429 product specific Section 301 exclusions, extending them through June 14, 2024, and to extend certain exclusions listed in Annex C through May 31, 2025. USTR has found that extending these exclusions will support efforts to shift sourcing out of China, or provide additional time where, despite efforts to source products from alternative sources, availability of the product outside of China remains limited. The exclusions listed in Annex D are not being extended beyond the 14-day transition period. For more information see 89 FR 46948.
  • 05/28/2024 – comments received from Indorama on Federal Register Notice requesting public comments on the commercial availability of high tenacity polyester yarns under the USMCA.
  • 05/28/2024 – comments received from Shuford Yarns on Federal Register Notice requesting public comments on the commercial availability of high tenacity polyester yarns under the USMCA.
  • 05/28/2024 – The U.S. Trade Representative is requesting public comments by June 28, 2024, for a Section 301 exclusion process for particular machinery, including textile, apparel, and footwear machinery used in domestic manufacturing to be temporarily excluded from these tariffs. USTR is also seeking public comments on whether the tariff rates should be higher than the proposed rates on facemasks, medical gloves, syringes and needles. In addition, whether additional statistical reporting codes with respect to facemasks under tariff subheading 6307.90.98 should be included. For more information see 89 FR 46252.
  • 05/14/2024 – The United States Trade Representative released their 4-year review of the Section 301 tariffs for China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. Recommendations are to increase some tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese goods and establish an exclusion process for a limited number of products. Among other products, USTR has directed to increase the rates of duty on facemasks to 25 percent in 2024, medical gloves to 25 percent in 2026, and syringes and needles to 50 percent in 2024. For more information see 89 FR 44541.
  • 05/14/2024 – The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments on the eligibility of sub-Saharan African countries to receive benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act as part of the annual review. A public hearing will be held virtually June 27; pre-hearing written comments, requests to testify, and written testimony are due by June 6; and post-hearing written comments are due by July 11. For more information see 89 FR 42052.
  • 05/03/2024 – March 2024 Textile and Apparel Import Report
  • 04/25/2024 – Determination to Approve CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability Request for Certain Double-Knit Jacquard Fabric. File Number: CA2024001.
  • 04/24/2024 – Federal Register Notice requesting public comments on the commercial availability of high tenacity polyester yarns under the USMCA.
  • 04/23/2024 – USTR is initiating an investigation of acts, policies, and practices of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) targeting the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance. The Section 301 Committee will convene a public hearing on May 29 and is seeking public comments by May 22. For more information see 89 FR 29424.
  • 04/04/2024 – February 2024 Textile and Apparel Import Report
  • 03/14/2024 – The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) requests comments and will hold a public hearing to inform objectives and strategies that advance U.S. supply chain resilience in trade negotiations, enforcement, and other initiatives.  April 12, 2024: Due date for filing requests to appear and a summary of expected testimony at the public hearing; April 22, 2024: Due date for submission of written comments; May 2, 2024: USTR will convene a public hearing in the main hearing room of the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436 beginning at 10:00 a.m.; and May 16, 2024: Due date for submission of post-hearing written comments from persons who testified at the public hearing.
  • 03/07/2024 – January 2024 Textile and Apparel Import Report
  • 02/08/2024 – December 2023 Textile and Apparel Import Report
  • 02/07/2024 – OTEXA to attend Sourcing at MAGIC on February 13-15 in Las Vegas, NV. Sourcing at MAGIC is a domestic and international gathering of manufacturers, suppliers and service providers from apparel and footwear manufacturing, to textiles, supply chain logistics, and technology solutions. OTEXA  staff will attend the show to meet with clients to discuss OTEXA services, business-to-business matchmaking, and the Made in USA Sourcing and Product Directory. Come find us at Booth #60309. Hope to see you there!
  • 02/06/2024 – Determination to Approve CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability Request for Certain Nylon Dobby Weave Fabric. File Number: CA2023002.
  • 01/31/2024 – The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) will hold a hearing on March 11 for its investigation into the export competitiveness of the apparel industries in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan. Requests to appear at the hearing are due Feb. 23, pre-hearing briefs and statements are due Feb. 27, and post-hearing briefs, statements, and all other written submissions for the record are due March 25. See Meeting Notice for more information.
  • 01/22/2024 – The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has opened a public docket for comments on 352 previously reinstated and 77 COVID-related exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods. The USTR will evaluate each exclusion on a case-by-case basis and will focus on availability of the product outside of China, the impact of extending the exclusion on U.S. interests, and the overall impact of the exclusion on the goals of the Section 301 tariffs, among other factors. Importantly, interested parties seeking to comment on more than one exclusion must submit a separate comment for each exclusion.
  • 01/08/2024 – November 2023 Textile and Apparel Import Report
  • 01/03/2024 – Determination to Approve CAFTA-DR Commercial Availability Request for Certain Two-Way Stretch Polyester/Spandex Woven Fabric: File Number CA2023001.
  • 01/01/2024 – The Islamic Republic of Mauritania has had their eligibility restored under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), while the Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger, and Uganda have been removed from the Trade Preference Program. For more details see the Presidential Proclamation.
  • 12/29/2023 – The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has extended two tranches of exclusions, 352 previously reinstated exclusions and 77 COVID-related exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods to provide a transition period and allow for further consideration of these products under the ongoing four-year review, which is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2024. The two sets of exclusions, slated to expire on December 31, 2023, will be extended until May 31, 2024. USTR will be opening a docket on January 22, 2024 to receive public comments on whether to further extend particular exclusions beyond May 31, 2024, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For more details, see the Federal Register notice 88 FR 90225.
  • 12/18/2023 - Limitation of Duty-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Haiti Under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), as Amended by the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE): For the period December 20, 2023 through December 19, 2024, the annual quantitative limit of the Haiti Hope Value-Added program is 313,655,640 square meters equivalent (SME).
  • 08/15/2022 – The International Trade Administration (ITA) has developed an interactive training course to help U.S. firms and the public understand the laws and regulations that prevent goods made with forced labor from entering the United States. See the interactive training entitled Human Trafficking: Forced Labor in Global Supply Chains on ITA’s Forced Labor in Supply Chains webpage.
  • 2/11/2021 – Issuance of Temporary Waiver of CITA’s Procedures Requiring Receipt of Original Signed Submissions in Commercial Availability Proceedings.  Interested entities planning to file a commercial availability request should contact Laurie Mease (Laurie.Mease@trade.gov) for instructions before submitting any documents (either public or confidential versions) to CITA.

Past Announcements