The following research report contains market research, analysis, statistics and business intelligence relating to research on Textile Industry In Usa.

Order the 2008 Edition of this report now by adding this item to your cart or for faster service call us at 212-398-5505 to speak to a customer service representative.

ABSTRACT
Textiles are woven or machine-knitted fabric. Textiles are vital to a society. Textiles impact our physical environment and quality of life. In addition to our clothing, homes, and work places, many areas of our lives depend on textiles. In 1998, world trade in textiles was worth approximately $331 billion, or about 6.3% of glabal merchandise trade.

The textile industry has a long history in the United States, dating back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Despite competition from textile producers in South America and Asia, which have lower costs and lower wages, textile remains one of the largest, most diverse, and most dynamic segments of the U.S. manufacturing sector.

The U.S. textile industry of today has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. The industry is now high-tech and globally competitive. The U.S. has the world's most modern and productive textile industry.

Currently, there are more than 6,000 textile establishments in the United States. The industry consists of a diverse, fragmented group of facilities that range from small, family-owned and-operated facilities that typically use older, traditional manufacturing techniques to huge integrated mills that operate the most up-to-date machinery and production equipment.

In 1996, Mexico nudged China aside as the top U.S. supplier of textiles and garments. Textiles and apparel are responsible for about 20 percent of the U.S. trade deficit. Last year, the deficit in textile and apparel trade was an estimated $52 billion. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), in 1998, the U.S. imported $69.1 billion worth of textile goods making it the largest importer. Exports are around $17 billion. Issues and Concerns: Back to Table of Contents

The Asian financial crisis has affected the U.S. textile industry. The American Textile Manufacturers Institute (A.T.M.I.) has decided to strongly protest against the recent surge of Asian imports into the United States, following the devaluation of Far Eastern currencies. Apparel imports from Asia are up 12 percent for 1998 to 5.9 billion square meters. Additionally, Asian imports of fabrics, yarn and home furnishings have soared 16 percent to reach 6.1 billion square meters.

As a result, U.S. fabric manufacturer Burlington announced in January 1999 that it would reduce its production capacity by 25 %, due to increased Asian garment imports in the U.S.A. Seven plants were closed, and 2,900 people laid off, 17 % of the domestic force. Burlington Industries employs 17,400 persons in the U.S.A., 18,900 worldwide. It is estimated that the U.S. textile and apparel industry's has suffered a drop in employment from 1.5 million people in 1990 to 985,000 in 1999. However, it is felt that as the World Trade Organization is further phased in and trade barriers continue to fall, the outlook for the textile industry on the international front looks promising for both exports and imports. Export growth is expected to outpace that of imports through the year 2000, averaging 4.5 percent annually versus 3.6 percent for imports. And while the financial crisis in Asia may appear at first glance to threaten the textile industry with a flood of inexpensive goods from those nations, some key factors ensure that the industry will be less vulnerable.

The most important of these factors is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Statistics reveal that the agreement has already helped expedite trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with imports from Canada and Mexico representing 21.1 percent of all U.S. textile imports. Even more significant, U.S. exports to the two nations account for 45.6 percent of all U.S. textile exports. As there has been a general decline in demand for U.S. made products, this increased trade among North American nations will serve to soften the blow that the crisis might otherwise have on U.S. manufacturers.

Although imports from China and South Korea have accelerated during the first few months of 1998 due to the strength of the U.S. dollar, mills in the countries affected by the Asian crisis are cash-starved and finding it difficult to purchase raw materials. Finally, all nations must adhere to quotas that prevent dumping of textiles into NAFTA markets. This would prevent those nations affected by the Asian crisis from flooding the U.S. market with inexpensive products.

On the other hand, U.S. textile importers and developing countries have accused the U.S. government of not living up to the spirit of the global Agreement on Textiles and Apparel (ATA). An important component of the ATA calls for the phase-out of quotas on textile and apparel trade by the year2007. Many U.S. importers and retailers, as well as the developing countries that export goods to the United States, have criticized the U.S. government for maintaining quotas on many imports until the end of the 10-year phaseout period, which began in 1995.

On November 15, 1999, the United States and China signed a bilateral trade agreement in Beijing. The agreement with the U.S. overcomes the largest obstacle in China's quest for WTO membership. In this agreement China says it will lower barriers on American products, the United States, in turn, will agree to support China's 13-year quest to become a member of the 135-nation World Trade Organization.

How does this agreement affect the textile industry? U.S. quotas on Chinese goods will disappear in2007. American textile manufacturers are worried that their will be a massive influx of low-cost Chinese textiles/apparel and other products which will overwhelm the domestic industry. The textile industry will try to lobby the U.S. Congress to reject the agreement. Trends: Back to Table of Contents Technical developments are key to the future success of the textile industry. Technology is key to competitiveness. Technology drives the productivity of the U.S. textile industry. Companies that fail to adopt new technologies fail. Past scientific and technical innovations have produced the durability of nylon, the convenience of wash and wear, and the safety of high strength aramid fibers. Technology has driven past performance and is an integral part of modern operations in today's textile industry. Whether it is synthetic fiber plants that produce up to one million pounds of fiber per day, textile plants where hundreds of looms operate virtually unattended, dyeing and finishing plants that produce over a million square yards of finished textiles per week, or the apparel plants and shops that produce hundreds of products with rapidly changing fashions -- continuous technological advancement is the key to competitiveness.

The ground rules of manufacturing have changed. The large scale, mass production methods that brought the world great prosperity over the last 50 years will no longer ensure future competitiveness. Customers demand high quality, competitive prices, a wide selection of products, and quick responses to changing needs. Consequently, the textile industry is undergoing a dramatic transition from the mass production model of the past to the agile manufacturing model of the future. Successful companies of the future must be able to rapidly and economically produce large or small quantities of world-class products in response to market demand.

The future will require entirely new manufacturing processes that can switch from product to product with zero waste, whether it is spinning fibers or dyeing fabric. Success will require technologies that enable companies to make small quantities of apparel, even custom apparel, at the cost of bulk-produced items. Greater environmental stewardship will be achieved through technologies that minimize use of natural resources and discharge no net waste to the environment.

In an effort to help the U.S. textile industry develop high technology, the Department of Energy created the American Textile Partnership (AMTEX), a cooperative industry/university/government effort to use research and development to strengthen the competitiveness of the integrated U.S. textile industry. Through cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs), the energy laboratories are working to improve the industry's manufacturing capabilities, quality, and productivity. Over half the funding is provided by the private sector, with federal support remaining within the participating government laboratories.

In order to curb fraudulent shipments of apparel and textiles to the U.S., on January 1997, the U.S. government implemented the Electronic Visa Information System -- also known as Elvis. 11 countries are currently using Elvis. When a U.S. trading partner decides to link up with Elvis, Customs continues to require a paper visa for at least six months to make sure any glitches are worked out. Then the visa arrangement between the two trading partners can be revised so the paper requirement is dropped and all the transactions are done electronically. Trade in textiles and apparel is unique in that visas must accompany shipments along with other paperwork like commercial invoices. The export document, known as a visa, is often forged or otherwise misused in apparel exports, hurting genuine manufacturers. The Elvis system is linked to the U.S. Customs Service, and export documents are sent electronically instead of manually, making forgery and fraud difficult. Distributed by a quota-issuing authority in the country where the goods originate, the visas are used by the U.S. Customs Service to tally imports against official quotas, or limits, imposed by U.S. trade restraints. Customs uses the visas to gain information about the shipment, such as the type and category of goods and the country of origin. With the new system, the opportunity for fake documents will be reduced as an electronic transmission is sent directly from a government computer where the exports originate to U.S. Customs' computers before the shipment is cleared. Legislation: Back to Table of Contents

Multi-Fiber Agreement (MFA): In order to prevent disruption to their domestic industries, developed nations have insisted on a framework to manage the international trade of textiles. This framework, or trade regime, was formally adopted in 1974 and is known as the Multifiber Agreement (MFA). The MFA's purpose is to provide for the orderly development of world textile trade. For the last 20 years MFA has regulated textile imports into the United States through annual quotas, set on a country-by-country basis. MFA will be phased out over a ten-year period and in its place will be the Agreement on Textiles and Apparel (ATA).

African Growth and Opportunity Act: This bill would lower U.S. tariffs on a number of goods and eliminate textile quotas for African exports and promote U.S. investment in Africa. The bill was opposed by the U.S. textile industry, because they feared that Asian manufactures would use Africa as a transshipment point for textiles and apparel. The domestic textile industry is always concerned that cheap imports coming from underdeveloped countries will have a detrimental impact on the industry. A recent study conducted by the International Trade Commission determined that extending duty preferences for certain African-made products would have a negligible effect on the U.S. textile industry. The bill has been stalled in the Congress.

Agreement on Textiles and Apparel (ATA): On January 1, 1995, the Uruguay Round on Textiles and Apparel (ATA) entered into force as part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, and it replaced the Multifiber Arrangement (MFA). The MFA had been governing world textile and apparel trade since 1974. Under ATA, textiles and apparel will be gradually brought under GATT discipline and be subject to the same rules as goods of other sectors. As WTO countries integrate their textile and apparel trade into the GATT regime, they are obligated to eliminate quotas on imports of such items from other WTO countries. The GATT integration process began in 1995 and will occur over a 10-year period in three stages ending in2007.

For more information on legislation dealing with the textile industry please see the legislation and trade agreement section in the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), International Trade Administration.

Competitors: Back to Table of Contents

Top Competing Countries: China, Mexico, Hong Kong, Canada, Taiwan.

Statistical Information: Back to Table of Contents Textile & Apparel Trade Balance Report Flow: General Imports Type: Customs value (Millions of Dollars) PartnerSITC rev 3 Commodity19971998January-October% changeYTD 10/98-YTD 10/9919981999 World     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total1,1405,9555,36545,34957,8101,2316,0846,19750,56964,0811,0525,1405,20743,11754,5161,0875,0235,87344,86756,8493.33-2.2912.794.064.28 Canada     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total2587462691,2212,4943248372841,4382,8832767002371,2062,4193087582871,3282,68211.478.3421.2110.1810.87 Mexico     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total1394005845,2796,4031653916416,7397,9361383295375,6316,6361603355826,4777,55515.611.798.4215.0213.84 China     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total214351,6046,1888,248183741,7735,9028,067143181,5205,1296,981192981,6975,1897,20332.41-6.0211.651.173.19 Korea, South     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total96271191,5772,332175961241,9432,680155101081,6732,306105521031,8342,499-33.518.08-4.249.628.35 Hong Kong     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total2148243,9884,1622174284,4654,6692144213,8163,9831160283,5913,781-16.8510.9835.68-5.90-5.08 Taiwan     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total165102422,0812,849164692602,1232,868144032221,8352,474124242371,6842,357-11.765.126.44-8.23-4.76 Japan     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total454362470575524142663-555443462052462423222648437-4.52-7.1229.19-8.62-5.49 EU15     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total3281,2766932,0634,3592731,3257662,2434,6072371,0966321,9053,8712211,0616911,8563,830-6.81-3.229.35-2.58-1.07 ASEAN     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total1043273325,7146,4781113814336,5517,476963283675,5926,384972674386,0326,8350.92-18.8119.347.877.05 CBI     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total5181067,6487,7777151038,3288,453613876,9377,043612877,3227,42813.52-4.25-0.585.555.46 LDDC exc. Haiti     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total33711,7741,852381022,2722,38536861,9632,058310882,2642,36512.5568.581.9815.3214.91 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel. Textile & Apparel Trade Balance Report Flow: Total exports Type: F.A.S. Value (Millions of Dollars) PartnerSITC rev 3 Commodity19971998January-October% changeYTD 10/98-YTD 10/9919981999 World     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total1,2035,4191,9248,17816,7231,2335,4541,9318,37116,9891,0604,6081,6107,09714,3751,0514,8901,5296,71514,186-0.776.12-5.01-5.39-1.32 Canada     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total3961,4506976643,2074131,4617957093,3783511,2386576112,8573681,1786785762,8004.77-4.843.29-5.85-2.00 Mexico     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total2031,0042462,1883,6422471,3652662,5864,4642121,1182182,1653,7122481,7902372,1324,40717.2360.128.70-1.5318.71 China     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total4401686764019672534135578441066860.7529.57-26.3218.94 Korea. South     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total117622321415537874543666095611108587.7429.5578.8356.7441.73 Hong Kong     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total182045651330181644545272151413938233111382928206-28.06-1.86-26.82-26.74-11.82 Taiwan     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total1255141810012411013751036811665299850-53.38-20.358.28-26.41-22.99 Japan     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total371661126329473312784425669301107237558736976134153523.29-12.05-15.47-9.05-8.77

EU15     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total2369322264871,8812398602263941,7202097501933351,4871535851792421,159-26.60-22.06-7.18-27.77-22.06 ASEAN     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total2115179492991497362517312843021146167522314233.46-10.76-5.259.98-3.08 CBI      Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total98529993,5824,3081085471083,7424,50590460873,1813,81895409913,0883,6835.13-10.914.92-2.93-3.52 LDDC exc. Haiti     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total028533702923340262230017222189.08-33.65-13.63-20.29-30.98 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel. Textile & Apparel Trade Balance Report Flow: Trade Balance Type: Value (Millions of Dollars) PartnerSITC rev 3 Commodity19971998January-October% changeYTD 10/98-YTD 10/9919981999 World     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total62-536-3,442-37,17-41,0862-630-4,265-42,198-47,0918-532-3,597-36,020-40,140-35-132-4,344-38,152-42,663-528.78-75.1420.765.926.28 Canada     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total139704428-55771388624510-72849475538420-59443860420391-753118-20.01-21.95-6.8426.66-73.07 Mexico     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up      Apparel     Total64604-338-3,0912,76182974-376-4,153-3,47273788-320-3,466-2,924881,455-346-4,345-3,14820.2984.498.2425.367.67 China     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total-17-396-1,588-6,180-8,181 -12-334-1,754-5,896-7,995-9-283-1,507-5,124-6,923-11-254-1,688-5,183-7,13517.62-10.3411.981.143.06 Korea, South     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total2-551-97-1,545-2,191-12-543-116-1,935-2,606-10-467-102-1,667-2,246-1-496-93-1,824-2,414-86.856.10-9.059.437.46 Hong Kong     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total165633-3,937-3,83216-1017-4,420-4,39714-418-3,778-3,75010-220-3,563-3,575-29.36505.52-98.87-5.69-4.66 Taiwan     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total-4-455-227-2,063-2,749-5-428-250-2,110-2,793-3-368-214-1,824-2,409 -7-395-228-1,676-2,306125.707.606.37-8.12-4.26 Japan     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total-9-27088562372-19-28758362113-14-23652323124-5-2253529398-63.07-4.81-32.55-9.13-20.97 EU15     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total-92-344-467-1,575-2,478-34-465-540-1,849-2,887-29-346-440-1,570-2,385-68-476-513-1,614-2,671137.7637.6316.592.7912.01 ASEAN     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total-83-177-253-5,666-6,178-96-284-398-6,526-7,304-84-244-338-5,572-6,238-81-192-410-6,010-6,693-3.78-21.5821.497.867.29 CBI     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total93511-7-4,067-3,4691025325-4,586-3,94885447-0-3,756-3,225893974-4,234-3,7444.57-11.11-1163.4512.7316.09 LDDC exc. Haiti     Yarn     Fabric     Made-up     Apparel     Total-325-66-1,771-1,815-321-99-2,269-2,351-320-85-1,961-2,028-37-86-2,263-2,3459.12-62.892.3115.3615.59 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel.

OUTLOOK FOR TEXTILES  

1997

1998

1999

2000

Nominal U.S Manufactures of dollarsPercent of change

$81.90 3.2%

$84.17 2.8%

$85.50 1.6%

$88.09 3.0%

Real U.S. Manufacturers Shipments: Billions of 1997$s Percent change

$81.90 2.7%

$83.94 2.5%

$84.78 1.0%

$86.48 2.0%

Nominal Domestic Demand: Billions of dollars Percent of change

$83.11 3.6%

$85.70 3.1%

$86.67 1.1%

$89.21 2.9%

Real Domestic Demand: Billions of 1997$s Percent change

$83.11 3.0%

$85.47 2.8%

$85.94 0.5%

$87.59 1.9%

Import Penetration:

10.2%

10.4%

10.4%

10.5% Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Contacts and Links: Back to Table of Contents

American Textile Manufacturing Institute (ATMI): is the national trade association for manufacturers of textile mill products made in the United States.

American Apparel Manufacturers Association (AAMA): is the national trade association for the apparel industry and its suppliers. The members of AAMA produce approximately 85% of the clothing sold at wholesale in the United States. They manufacture all types of garments and their facilities are located in virtually every state in the union.

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC): The AATCC is an association that educates and provides technology transfer and test method development for the textile wet processing industry.

The American Textile Partnership (AMTEX): The goal of The AMTEX Partnership is to strengthen the competitiveness of the integrated U.S. textile industry-including the fiber, textile, apparel, and fabricated product sectors. AMTEX is a collaborative research and development program among the industry, the Department of Energy, the DOE laboratories, other federal agencies, and universities.

United States Department of Commerce- Office of Textiles and Apparel

National Textile Center (NTC): is a research consortium started by four universities: Auburn; Clemson; Georgia Institute of Technology; and North Carolina State University. NTC funding also now includes the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences. Funds originate from a grant administered by the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), U.S. Department of Commerce. The research agenda is based on the mission, goals and vision of the NTC as implemented by its technical advisory committee.

United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA - ITA): is a non-profit industry association representing the interests of the textile/apparel importing community before Congress, the Administration, United States Customs Service, other regulatory agencies, the business community and the public.

DISCLAIMER
Information in this report relies on sources including Government Publications, Opinions of industry experts and other public sources. Infomat can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information or for loss or damage caused by any use thereof. All prices subject to change without notice.

$1250 USD
For the 2008 Edition

Published: 2000 August
Market: Mens Womens Childrens
Region: USA
Industry: Textiles
Delivery: 7-12 Business Days
SKU: infre0000245