Army Physical Fitness Uniform Contract Awarded

National Industries For The Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $8,916,000 modification (P00008) exercising the third one-year option of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-16-D-B006) with four one-year option periods for Army Physical Fitness Uniform (APFU) pants. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, with an April 6, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

FTZ Filed for Textile/Felt Filter Bags and Other Filter Products for Industrial Use

On April 1, 2019, the Foreign Trade Zone Board published in the Federal Register (84 FR 12194) Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 47--Boone County, Kentucky; Notification of Proposed Production Activity; BWF America, Inc. (Textile/Felt Filter Bags and Other Filter Products for Industrial Use), Hebron, Kentucky.

The Greater Cincinnati Foreign Trade Zone, Inc., grantee of FTZ 47, submitted a notification of proposed production activity to the FTZ Board on behalf of BWF America, Inc. (BWF), located in Hebron, Kentucky. The notification conforming to the requirements of the regulations of the FTZ Board (15 CFR 400.22) was received on March 21, 2019.

The applicant indicates that it will be submitting a separate application for FTZ designation at the BWF facility under FTZ 47. The facility is used for the production of textile/felt filter bags and other filter products for industrial applications. Pursuant to 15 CFR 400.14(b), FTZ activity would be limited to the specific foreign-status materials and components and specific finished products described in the submitted notification (as described below) and subsequently authorized by the FTZ Board.

Production under FTZ procedures could exempt BWF from customs duty payments on the foreign-status components used in export production. On its domestic sales, for the foreign-status materials/components noted below, BWF would be able to choose the duty rate during customs entry procedures that applies to textile/felt industrial filter bags, press filters, drum filters, press covers, filter belts, and filter discs (duty rate 3.8%). BWF would be able to avoid duty on foreign-status components which become scrap/waste. Customs duties also could possibly be deferred or reduced on foreign-status production equipment.

The components and materials sourced from abroad include: Hydrated lime with fluorescent pigment tracing powder; plastic laminated film seam tape; textile rollers/rings (polyester fibers needled together and rolled into circular forms); fiberglass rolled goods (woven textile fiberglass with a polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) membrane film laminated as a top layer on the material); and, stainless steel wire cages (wire frames used in air filtration to support the filtration bags). Foreign-sourced components also include fiberglass thread and rolled felt of polyester, polyphenylene sulfide, aramid, polyimide, PTFE, and acrylic, each of which can have any one or more combinations of the following coatings/finishes (for the purposes of product performance--primarily heat and speed of emissions)--mechanical: singe, glaze; chemical: bath treatments, Teflon, acrylic, fluorocarbon, silicone; and, lamination: PTFE and PTFE membrane. The duty rates on components/materials range from duty-free to 10.6%. The request indicates that certain materials/components are subject to special duties under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Section 301), depending on the country of origin. The applicable Section 301 decisions require subject merchandise to be admitted to FTZs in privileged foreign status (19 CFR 146.41).

Public comment is invited from interested parties. The closing period for their receipt is May 13, 2019.

Loro Piana Sails Into Summer With a Lightweight—and Luxurious—New Collection

When a brand is as renowned for its richly sumptuous cashmere as Loro Piana is—the company has worked with Inner Mongolian goat herders to perfect the fiber for nearly a quarter century—there’s always the risk of being pigeonholed as for winter wardrobes only. So what better way for an over 200-year-old house to flex a new summer collection than by doing something else decidedly new? ... READ MORE.

2019 State of the U.S. Textile Industry Address

Outgoing 2018-19 National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Chairman Marty Moran delivered the trade association’s 2019 State of the U.S. Textile Industry overview at NCTO’s 16^th Annual Meeting on March 21^st at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.

Mr. Moran’s speech outlined (1) U.S. textile supply chain economic, employment and trade data, (2) the 2019 policy priorities of domestic textile manufacturers, and (3) other NCTO activities. 

A link to his remarks as prepared for delivery are included in this press statement along with a link to a data infographic prepared by NCTO illustrating the current economic status of the U.S. textile industry.

Mr. Moran is CEO of Buhler Quality Yarns, Corp., a fine-count yarn supplier headquartered in Jefferson, Georgia with plants and/or offices in America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers. 

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

Textile and Apparel Sectors Disagree on Certain Provisions of the Proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Agreement

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is the proposed replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which entered into force in 1994 and gradually eliminated tariffs and quotas on regionally made textile and apparel products. The proposed agreement would make several changes in rules affecting textiles and apparel among the three countries. U.S. textile manufacturers and the apparel and retail industries have expressed overall support for the USMCA. Still, certain provisions have been controversial, and textile producers and the apparel sector hold divergent views. If Congress considers the USMCA, its textile and apparel provisions may draw particular scrutiny... READ MORE from this March 5, 2019, Congressional Research Service report.

Comments Request; Interim Procedures for Short Supply Requests Under Panama and Peru FTAz

March 26, 2019, the Department of Commerce published in the Federal Register (84 FR 11283) Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Interim Procedures or Considering Requests Under the Commercial Availability Provision of the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (U.S.-Panama TPA).

March 26, 2019, the Department of Commerce published in the Federal Register (84 FR 11285) Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Interim Procedures for Considering Requests Under the Commercial Availability Provision of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (US-PERU TPA).

Demand of textile items could rise, DLA director tells industry officials

n support of Department of Defense priorities to restore military readiness and strengthen partnerships, Defense Logistics Agency Director Army Lt. Gen. Darrell K. Williams addressed about 100 textile industry executives at the 16th Annual Meeting of the National Council of Textile Organizations in Washington, D.C., March 19. The theme was “American Textiles – Building Stronger Local Supply Chains.” ... READ MORE.

AAFA Announces Board of Directors Leadership and Election Results for 2019-2020

On March 15, 2019, the American Apparel & Footwear Association announced the transition of its Board of Directors leadership, and the addition of 16 new and re-elected Board members. The Officer induction took place at the conclusion of the AAFA Executive Summit.

The following individuals were confirmed as AAFA’s Board of Directors leadership for the 2019-2020 term:


Chairman: Gary Simmons, Director, Intradeco Apparel, Inc.
Vice-Chairman: Colin Browne, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Under Armour, Inc.
Secretary: Sarah Clarke, Executive Vice President, PVH Supply, PVH Corp.
Treasurer: Kurt Cavano, Technology and Supply Chain Evangelist, Infor
Past Chairman: Thomas Glaser, Vice President, VF Corporation & President – Global Supply Chain

The following individuals were elected and re-elected to the Board of Directors:

Mala Brindisi, Spanx, Inc.
Thomas Chubb, Oxford Industries, Inc.
Richard Darling, Global Brands Group
Kellie Davies Brown, Target Corporation
Abbey Doneger, The Doneger Group
Allan Ellinger, MMG Advisors
Doug Freeman, Patagonia*
Thomas Glaser, VF Corporation
Edward Gribbin, Alvanon, Inc.
Ed Manburg, Byer California
Michael Mansh, Pennsylvania Apparel LLC
Bruce Munro, Munro & Company, Inc.
Joe Preston, New Balance Athletics, Inc.*
James Schwartz, MGF Sourcing
Gary Simmons, Intradeco Apparel, Inc
Paula Zusi, Advent International Corporation

*Indicates newly elected Board Members.
 
Chris Alt of American & Efird was approved to fill a seat vacated by Les Miller’s retirement for the remainder of the 2019-2020 term.

Thomas Glaser of VF Corporation steps down as chairman following the conclusion of his one-year term. “The American Apparel & Footwear Association has provided great value throughout my time working with them, and it was great working with the team to move the association forward and plan for the future,” said Glaser. “I feel that I am passing on the leadership at a time of great strength for the association, and am excited to see its continued growth under Gary Simmons.”

“The apparel and footwear industry finds itself in a time of great transition, and having a strong collective voice in Washington and around the world is as important now as it has ever been,” said Gary Simmons, chairman of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. “I am excited to take over the role of chairman, and look forward to a progress-filled year ahead.”

“Gary Simmons has been an invaluable member of the Board of Directors for several years now, and it is with great excitement that we welcome him as Chairman of the AAFA Board of Directors,” said Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. “Tom Glaser's leadership during the past year has resulted in several milestones for AAFA. From developing a new strategic plan to providing his expertise on our policy initiatives, he has left the association in a better place than he found it. We will be eternally grateful to him, and look forward to his continued input on the Executive Committee.”

USTR Accepting Comments on Possible Changes to GSP

p>On March 23, 2019, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published in the Federal Register (84 FR 11150) 2019 Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice of Annual GSP Product and Country Review; Deadline for Filing Petitions.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will consider petitions to modify the GSP status of GSP beneficiary developing countries (BDCs) because of country practices; add products to GSP eligibility; remove products from GSP eligibility for one or more countries; waive competitive need limitations (CNLs); deny de minimis waivers for products eligible for de minimis waivers; and redesignate currently excluded products.

Submitting Imports of Second Group of Products Excluded from Section 301 Duties

On March 25, 2019, the U.S. Trade Representative published a Federal Register Notice announcing the decision to grant the second group of certain exclusion requests from the 25 percent duty assessed under the Section 301 investigation related to goods from China (Tranche 1). The product exclusions announced in this notice will be retroactive as of the July 6, 2018 effective date (see 83 FR 28710). The exclusions will extend for one year after the March 25, 2019 Federal Register notice.

The exclusions are available for any product that meets the description in the Annex to the Federal Register notice, regardless of whether the importer filed an exclusion request. Further, the scope of each exclusion is governed by the scope of the 10-digit headings and product descriptions in the Annex, and not by the product descriptions set out in any particular request for exclusion. The functionality for the acceptance of the second group of products excluded from Section 301 duties will be available in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) on March 22, 2019.

NOTE, this announcement relates to a Second Groups of Products Excluded from LIST 1 of the 301 tariffs. It does not related to requests for exclusion from List 2. No determinations have been issued regarding List 2.

A Look Inside the American Woolen Company Mill

Made in America – it’s harder and harder to find those three words inside our clothes. But a Stafford Spring mill that’s reopened for business is changing that... CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

NCTO Elects North Carolina Manufacturing CEO as 2019 Chairman

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) held its 16th Annual Meeting March 19-21 in Washington, DC. Elected as NCTO officers for 2019 are:

Chairman – Leib Oehmig, CEO of Glen Raven, Inc. Mr. Oehmig is CEO of Glen Raven, Inc., based in Glen Raven, North Carolina. Glen Raven is an innovative leader in textile research and development, dying, spinning, weaving and finishing, and distribution and logistics.

Vice Chairman – David Roberts, CEO of CAP Yarns, Inc. Mr. Roberts is CEO of CAP Yarns, Inc., based in Clover, South Carolina. CAP Yarns is a specialty yarn manufacturer and a leader in developing unique yarns for the knitting and weaving industry.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

Patrick Gruber to Receive AATCC Millson Award

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists has named Patrick R. Gruber as the recipient of the Henry E. Millson Award for Invention for developing a green chemistry-based continuous process for producing polylactic acid fibers known as PLA. The Millson Award recognizes inventions that are outstanding contributions to textile technology.

Gruber is CEO and board member at Gevo Inc., specializing in converting carbohydrates into low carbon chemicals and fuels, lessening reliance on petrochemical sources.

Gruber began his career at Cargill Inc. in 1988 as technology manager in search of new business opportunities involving renewable resource-based products as raw materials. He served as Technical Director of Cargill's BioScience division from 1998 to 1999. In 1997, Gruber co-founded NatureWorks, LLC (formerly Cargill Dow, LLC), and served as Vice President of Technology and Operations and Chief Technology Officer until 2005.

Chemical giants had spent decades trying to find a renewable and environmentally safe raw material to make into plastic. Until Gruber’s discovery in 1989, no one had discovered out how to make PLA from plant starches with the right properties and inexpensively enough for large scale production.

A new fermentation and distillation process enabled cheaper purification, better optical composition control, and significant yield increases over existing practice. The patented process enabled a single plant, using a flexible manufacturing system, to produce different PLA grades for multiple markets at low cost while adhering to environmentally sound practices.

Gruber has received numerous awards including: The George Washington Carver Award from BIO, The Presidential Green Chemistry Award, The Discover Award for Environmental Innovation from Discover Magazine, The Lee W. Rivers Innovation Award from CDMA, an Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota in 2011, and numerous others. Gruber is the editor the two volume book “Biorefineries—Industrial Processes and Products,” eight papers and book chapters, and holds more than 60 US patents, with a number of others pending.

Gruber received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Minnesota. He also earned an M.S. in business administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

The Millson Award

AATCC named the Millson Award for Invention for Henry E. Millson, a noted inventor who was head of dyes research for American Cyanamid. Millson, the 1958 recipient of AATCC's Olney Medal for outstanding achievement in textile chemistry, endowed the award in 1979 with the stipulation that he never be considered a candidate. After agreeing to that condition, the Association promptly named the award in his honor.

Award Presentation

The Millson Award will be presented at AATCC's International Conference in Fort Worth, TX, USA, at the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, during the Award Luncheon on April 11, 2019 at noon.

For a complete list of previous award recipients, visit www.aatcc.org/abt/awards/millson/millson-award-recipients

About AATCC: AATCC is the world’s leading not-for-profit association serving textile professionals since 1921. AATCC, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, provides test method development, quality control materials, and professional networking for members in about 50 countries throughout the world.

Army and Navy Uniform Contract Awarded

M&M Manufacturing LLC, Lajas, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $13,781,250 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Navy Working Uniform blouses and Army Combat Uniform coats. This was a competitive acquisition with six responses received. This is an 18-month base contract with three one-year option periods. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a March 19, 2021, estimated performance completion date. Using military services are Navy and Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1145).

CPSC to Hold Hearing on Agenda and Priorities for FY 2020 and 2021

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission) will conduct a public hearing to receive views from all interested parties about the Commission's agenda and priorities for fiscal year 2020, which begins on October 1, 2019, and for fiscal year 2021, which begins on October 1, 2020. We invite members of the public to participate. Written comments and oral presentations concerning the Commission's agenda and priorities for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 will become part of the public record.

The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. on May 1, 2019, and will conclude the same day. Requests to make oral presentations and the written text of any oral presentations must be received by the Division of the Secretariat not later than 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 17, 2019. The Commission will accept written comments as well. These also must be received by the Division of the Secretariat not later than 5 p.m. EDT on April 17, 2019.

Army Combat Uniform Contract Awarded

Golden Manufacturing Inc., Golden, Mississippi, has been awarded a maximum $18,234,851 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Army Combat Uniform coats and the Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform. This was a competitive acquisition with nine responses received. This is a two-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Mississippi, with a Sept. 14, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1138).

Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Feldman and Staff Meeting with National Council of Textile Organizations

Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Peter Feldman and staff will be meeting with the National Council of Textile Organizations on March 18, 2019. Attendees will include: Mike Sheldon, President and CEO of Valdese Weavers; Don Vavala, Senior Director of Government Affairs, W.L. Gore and Associates; Hardy Poole, National Council of Textile Organizations.

Rhode Island Company Awarded Army and Air Force Parka Contract

Hyman Brickle & Son Inc., doing business as Northwest Woolen Mills, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, has been awarded a $9,736,800 firm-fixed-price, definite quantity contract for extreme cold weather parkas. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is an eight-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with a Nov. 9, 2019, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-C-0007).

Save the Date, 10th Triennial Flock School July 31-August 2, 2019

Join with other industry members on the beautiful University of Massachusetts campus for the 10th triennial American Flock Association FLOCK SCHOOL. The entire flocking process will be covered from choice of flock, substrate, and adhesive to coating and application techniques, as well as drying, curing, and post treatments. Break out sessions will address specific needs of the attendees. READ MORE.

Loro Piana to use Directa Plus graphene technology

Directa Plus, a producer and supplier of graphene nanoplatelets-based products, has signed an exclusive agreement with Italian high-end clothing and fabrics producer Loro Piana for the commercialisation of Loro Piana fabrics and garments enriched by the company’s G+ technology. ... READ MORE.

Army Coat Contract Awarded

Aurora Industries LLC, Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $18,672,261 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for coats for the Army Combat Uniform and Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a two-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a Sept. 3, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1137).

United States Will Terminate GSP Designation of India and Turkey

On March 4, 2091, At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced that the United States intends to terminate India’s and Turkey’s designations as beneficiary developing countries under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program because they no longer comply with the statutory eligibility criteria.

India’s termination from GSP follows its failure to provide the United States with assurances that it will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets in numerous sectors. Turkey’s termination from GSP follows a finding that it is sufficiently economically developed and should no longer benefit from preferential market access to the United States market.

By statute, these changes may not take effect until at least 60 days after the notifications to Congress and the governments of India and Turkey, and will be enacted by a Presidential Proclamation.

Background

Under the United States GSP program, certain products can enter the United States duty-free if beneficiary developing countries meet the eligibility criteria established by Congress. GSP criteria include, among others, respecting arbitral awards in favor of United States citizens or corporations, combating child labor, respecting internationally recognized worker rights, providing adequate and effective intellectual property protection, and providing the United States with equitable and reasonable market access. Countries can also be graduated from the GSP program depending on factors related to economic development.

India

The United States launched an eligibility review of India’s compliance with the GSP market access criterion in April 2018. India has implemented a wide array of trade barriers that create serious negative effects on United States commerce. Despite intensive engagement, India has failed to take the necessary steps to meet the GSP criterion.

Turkey

The United States designated Turkey as a GSP beneficiary developing country in 1975. An increase in Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, declining poverty rates, and export diversification, by trading partner and by sector, are evidence of Turkey’s higher level of economic development.

The Trade Policy Agenda and Annual Report of the President of the United States on the Trade Agreements

On March 1, 2019, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer delivered President Trump’s Trade Policy Agenda and Annual Report to Congress, outlining how the Administration’s trade policies are benefitting American workers and contributing to the strongest economy in decades.

“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the United States is pursuing trade policies that are more favorable to American workers,” said Ambassador Lighthizer. “In just two years, we have significantly re-written major trade deals with Korea, Mexico, and Canada. We have undertaken dramatic new enforcement efforts to stop unfair trading practices by China and other countries. We are aggressively enforcing U.S. trade laws, including by bringing cases under trade agreements, relevant U.S. laws, and at the WTO. We are ensuring that countries receiving benefits under the GSP program live up to eligibility standards set by Congress. These actions and many others are contributing to a stronger U.S. economy, which has generated more jobs and higher wages for American workers.”

To continue these economic gains, in 2019 the Trump Administration is urging Congress to approve the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and is launching new trade negotiations with Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. In addition, the Trump Administration will continue to press China to address long-standing U.S. concerns about unfair trade practices, defend America’s interests at the World Trade Organization, and vigorously enforce U.S. trade laws.

“Our goal is to ensure that hard work and innovation are rewarded, while unfair trade practices and illegal government subsidies are punished,” the report states.

The full report can be viewed here.

A fact sheet can be viewed here.

Background:

Congress requires the U.S. Trade Representative to submit the President’s Trade Policy Agenda and Annual Report by March 1 each year. The Trade Policy Agenda and Annual Report were prepared according to guidelines established under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended.