TEXTILES.ORG
Members of the U.S. Industrial & Narrow Fabrics Institute were in Washington, D.C., earlier this month to advocate on key issue for the textile industry.
Representatives from 11 USINFI member companies met with Congressional offices and policymakers March 5-6 to discuss key issues including PFAS, military budgets and trade. Companies making the trip work in several segments of the industry, including awnings, narrow fabrics, military, fabric structures, tent, marine and more.
Advocacy Days is an opportunity for USINFI members to nurture stronger working relationships with officials responsible for crafting, implementing and administering policies that directly affect domestic manufacturers. These matters include the Berry Amendment, a law requiring the Department of Defense to buy textiles and clothing made only with U.S. content and labor; renewal of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill to lower tariff costs on manufacturing inputs that are not available domestically; and various trade enforcement matters including the need to close the “de minimis” tariff loophole.
Herculite has been attending Advocacy Days for more than 20 years and has found it to be a valuable experience for the company, says Chad Twombly, vice president direct sales.
“Our political representatives need to know what we as an industry do,” he says. “They are not going to get a grasp of the value of our industry without people coming to them and sharing with them what companies in their area of representation do. Meeting with Congressmen, Congresswomen, Senators and different Committee Representation helps to give these policymakers a perspective that they would otherwise never have.”
Twombly urges other companies not to be intimidated by the idea of participating in Advocacy Days, noting that there is a lot of support for first-time attendees.
“The first thing that I would tell people is that it is easier than you might think,” he says. “The first time I went, I was a little scared about the process, but we have a great group of supporters that help us lead the conversation and provide excellent resources that help us successfully share the points and concerns that we want to address as an association.
“The second thing I would tell people, is that our political leaders care about what is going on in their districts and their states. My experience is that they find our industry interesting. They are sometime surprised to find out that there are textile manufacturers left in the United States and they are intrigued to hear our stories of success and innovation. Finally, this is a great opportunity to collaborate as an industry, working for the greater good of the industry as a whole.” For more information on USINFI and Advocacy Days, visit usinfi.textiles.org/.