TEXTILES.ORG
The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), spanning the entire spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued a statement commending the House Armed Services Committee for passing the fiscal year (FY) 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains reporting requirements aimed at strengthening the Berry Amendment’s 100% Made in America rules.
The House NDAA bill, which authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military, includes several important reporting requirements directing divisions within the Department of Defense (DOD) to strengthen compliance with the Berry Amendment and Buy American requirements for textiles and apparel. The Berry Amendment requires the DOD to purchase 100% U.S.-made textiles and clothing.
In the legislation, the committee directs the DOD to fulfill the following reporting requirements: an assessment of waiver usage under the Berry Amendment, evaluation of supplier verification and auditing practices and actions to align contracting strategies with the long-term health of the domestic defense textile industrial base; an assessment of the feasibility of narrowing the exception for Berry Amendment small purchases from $150,000 to $20,000, broadly and specifically for textiles; an examination of flame-resistant textile production capacity and resilience; and an examination of potential non-Berry compliant Army service uniforms.
“We applaud the HASC for passing the FY 2027 NDAA and including provisions that, if enacted, will lead to increased government purchases of more Made in America textiles and bolster domestic manufacturing and meet the mission-critical needs of our Armed Forces. We appreciate the leadership of Congressman Don Davis (D-N.C.) and Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the House Berry Amendment Caucus, who led efforts to strengthen Berry in the House this year,” says Kim Glas, president and CEO of NCTO. “NCTO looks forward to working with House and Senate lawmakers to ensure these provisions are included in the final FY 2027 NDAA and to advance policies that strengthen the domestic textile industrial base.”