In more cases than not, protectionism carries with it negative connotations, but America’s increasingly strained trade relations may be giving Made in America sourcing a little kick in the pants.
Whether that’s for fear of border adjustment taxes or sudden and soaring duties for foreign dealings remains to be seen, but U.S. manufacturers exhibiting at Texworld USA had positive things to say for the potential of sourcing in the States.
For Jim Andriola, a sales representative for Texollini, a Long Beach, California-based fabric supplier, interest in Made in America at Texworld this year was reaffirming of a trend he saw shaping up in the years following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Around 2010, he said, “A lot of low-tech industries began looking for sourcing locally. Not to change their platform in a dramatic way, but to consider their platform in a different way.”
From there, the entrance of fast fashion made Made in America an increasingly interesting option.
“It was the changing mindset of the leading retailers, like Zara, which is very fast fashion,” Andriola said. “You can’t do very fast fashion 8,000 miles away, but you do it in shorter runs and you do it more often.”
Read more at Sourcing Journal.
