Action urged on trade deficit

Four U.S. textile trade associations, the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), American Fiber Manufacturers Association (AFMA), Narrow Fabrics Institute (NFI), and United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI), have outlined the causes of the $95 billion U.S. trade deficit in textiles and apparel. They also have suggested remedial actions for the Trump administration to boost U.S. production and jobs in joint comments submitted to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition, NCTO’s Upholstery Fabrics Committee submitted a separate statement detailing the reasons for the U.S. trade deficit in upholstery fabrics, focusing on the imbalance with China in particular. The comments were submitted in response to a notice for public comment issued by the Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative pursuant to an executive order signed by President Trump.