CALL FOR SPEAKERS & SAVE THE DATE
2025 SPESA Advancements in Manufacturing Technologies Conference
Thursday, April 3, 2025 | Austin, TX
SPESA Announcement
We're excited to share that SPESA will host its 2025 Advancements in Manufacturing Technologies Conference on Thursday, April 3, 2025 at the Austin Central Library in Austin, TX. We have officially opened up our call for SPESA member speakers, seeking presentations that address the latest, most innovative methods and technologies that are offered by SPESA members.
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Please email Maggie McDonald (maggie@spesa.org) if you're interested in participating.
INDUSTRY NEWS | 1.8.25
IFC and Star Garments Partner To Expand Textile and Apparel Manufacturing in Togo
Press Release | July 8, 2025
The International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group) is providing a $15 million loan to Star Garments, a leading Sri Lanka-based apparel manufacturing company and subsidiary of U.S.-based Charles Komar & Sons, to help the company build Togo's first large-scale, export-focused apparel manufacturing center, creating thousands of local jobs.
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40,000 Jobs Lost in 3 Years in Haiti's Garment Manufacturing Sector
Fibre2Fashion | January 8, 2025
Haiti’s garment manufacturing industry, which employed 62,000 workers in December 2021, has lost over 40,000 workers, or 64% of its workforce, in three years, according to Georges Sassine, former president of the Association of Industries of Haiti. Apart from the security crisis, there is uncertainty regarding the renewal of trade preferences for Haiti under the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act and its complementary Haiti Economic Lift Programme (HELP), which offers certain garments duty-free access to the U.S. market. The agreements will expire in September 2025.
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CLO Virtual Fashion Opens New Office in Vietnam
Fashion United | January 7, 2025
CLO Virtual Fashion, a provider of digital garment 3D solutions, has opened a second Southeast Asia office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The opening is part of the company’s continued strategic expansion in Southeast Asia following the successful launch of an office in Jakarta last year.
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Nike AIR: 3D Printing the Future of Athletic Footwear
Manufacturing Digital | January 7, 2025
“Through additive manufacturing, harnessing generative AI, and embracing distributed methods, Nike fashions the future of sports footwear and apparel.” Project AIR, which stands for Athlete Imagined Revolution, is a collaborative process between Nike’s dedicated design and manufacturing team and 13 global athletes to create “mind-bending,” innovative 3D-printed footwear.
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California Makes History with Country’s First PFAS Ban for Apparel
Sourcing Journal | January 7, 2025
California made history on January 1, 2025, with the country’s first statewide ban on PFAS in clothing and other textile products. The California Safer Clothes and Textiles Act of 2022 (AB 1817) bars the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of new fabric products — from clothing to accessories, footwear, bedding, upholstery, shower curtains, tablecloths, towels, and more — made with regulated perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Read why Glossy believes the regulation will bring “a reckoning for the fashion industry.”
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NIST Database Can Help Increase Recycling of Textiles and Clothing
Press Release | January 7, 2025
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a database that contains the molecular “fingerprints” of different kinds of textile fibers and that can enable more rapid, efficient sorting of fabrics at recycling centers.
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Adidas and H&M Among Companies Sourcing Cotton with Child Labor
The Brussels Times | January 7, 2025
Some of the world’s most renowned clothing manufacturers, including H&M and Adidas, have been accused of using cotton from farms in India that employ child labor, according to NGO Transparentem.
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Trump Aides Ready ‘Universal’ Tariff Plans — With One Key Change
The Washington Post | January 6, 2025
According to the Washington Post, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s aides are exploring tariff plans that would be applied to every country but only cover critical imports, three people familiar with the matter said — a key shift from his plans during the 2024 presidential campaign. If implemented, the emerging plans would pare back the most sweeping elements of Trump’s campaign plans but still would be likely to upend global trade and carry major consequences for the U.S. economy and consumers. Please note, President-elect Trump denied this report on his Truth Social platform.
For an industry perspective to this news, see Just Style’s coverage featuring U.S. apparel industry leaders.
As we all know, sourcing and supply chain decisions must be made in advance. So, even the threat of tariffs has led many companies to evaluate their sourcing plans and procurement networks in hopes of mitigating any possible impact. Supply Chain Dive has compiled a list of these actions here.
Read More...
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SHEIN Ramps Up Denim Production Using Cool Transfer Denim Printing by 90% in 2024
Press Release | January 6, 2025
SHEIN is transforming the way its denim is being produced by increasing its adoption of Cool Transfer Denim Printing, a technology that consumes less water and energy compared to traditional denim manufacturing methods. As explained in a press release, the integration of Cool Transfer Denim Printing complements SHEIN's on-demand business model, which leverages a digitalized supply chain to match customer demand with merchandise supply.
​Read More...
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Dallas Fed: Nearshoring to Mexico Has Yet To Fully Materialize
Rio Grande Guardian | January 5, 2025
New foreign direct investment inflows have not surged, as might be expected with more nearshoring activity, but have actually declined since 2022, according to a new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’s Global Institute.
Read More...
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Tackling Fashion’s Excess Inventory Problem
Business of Fashion | January 3, 2025
To combat the high costs of overstock and stock-outs, winning brands are improving their end-to-end planning with tech tools and operating models that allow for greater supply-chain agility, according to the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2025.
Read More...
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Researchers Find ‘Sweet’ Spot for Recycling Wearable Tech
Sourcing Journal | January 3, 2025
A group of UK-based scientists may have found wearable tech’s sweet spot, alleging e-textiles can be both sustainable and biodegradable. The new study, featuring input from the universities of Exeter, Cambridge, Leeds, and Bath, tests a novel approach for what the team calls “smart, wearable, and eco-friendly electronic textiles” (SWEET).
Read More...
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SPESA Applauds Call To Study Minority-Owned U.S. Apparel, Textile Firms
Just Style | January 2, 2025
SPESA President Michael McDonald told Just Style exclusively: “SPESA has long been preaching the woefully inadequate amount of data and analysis of the many industries in and around the domestic cut and sew industrial base… This information is necessary for us to continue to invest, improve, and innovate manufacturing in America to reach the level we need to have long term sustainability and success.”
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The article explains the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s request for information on the ongoing investigations on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy on U.S. workers, and especially on underserved and overburdened communities.
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Shoe Brands Turn to U.S. Manufacturers as Trump’s Import Tariffs Loom
Footwear News | January 2, 2024
Footwear manufacturing has yet to meaningfully reestablish itself in the United States. But the recent threat of new tariffs on foreign imports (see above) are pushing more American brands to consider staking out a supply chain outpost closer to home.
Read More…
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Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC) and NC Small Business Center Network Present Free ‘Developing Your Apparel/Textile Product in the U.S.’ Webinar on January 15
Press Release | January 2, 2025
MSC Resource Library Manager Tanya Wade will lead the session which will cover how entrepreneurs and businesses can proceed with developing and producing a textile or apparel product in the United States. Topics include domestic material sourcing options and strategies for working with manufacturers as products move into the production stage. There is no cost to attend.
Read More…​​​
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Labor Rights, Automation To Reshape Supply Chain Workforce in 2025
Supply Chain Brain | January 2, 2025
With contentious union negotiations, rapid advancements in automation and artificial intelligence, and growing global scrutiny on human rights abuses, 2025 is set to be a transformative year for labor across supply chains, where businesses and their employees will look to achieve a tenuous balance between profitability and accountability. Supply Chain Brain shares its Editor’s Outlook for the upcoming year.
Just Style also provided insights into the “Top headaches for supply chain managers in 2025.”
Read More…​​
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Year In Review: Material Masters and Their Trailblazing Textiles
Sourcing Journal | December 31, 2024
This is a cool look at all the strange and wonderful textiles innovations from the last year.
Read More…​​
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Mexico Increases Tariffs, Revises Import Program in Blow to U.S. Apparel Import Industry
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. Trade Advisory | December 24, 2024
At the end of December, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum introduced new measures to protect the Mexican textile and apparel industries. These changes represent a significant shift in Mexico’s trade and manufacturing landscape, will result in increased import costs for affected goods, and may require importers (particularly those fulfilling U.S. e-commerce orders from Mexico) to adjust their supply chains and manufacturing processes. This action is also expected to impact companies that perform repairs or alterations on apparel or textile articles in Mexico or that use HTS subheadings 9802.00.80 or 9802.00.91 for assembly abroad of U.S. components, including the Mexico Special Regime program.
Good industry coverage is available from Fashion Dive and Sourcing Journal.
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Milliken & Company Becomes First Textile Manufacturer To Offer Non-PFAS Materials for Every Layer of Firefighter Turnout Gear
Press Release | December 20, 2024
Global diversified manufacturing leader Milliken & Company announced that it is the first textile manufacturer to offer non-PFAS materials for all three layers of firefighter turnout gear, including outer shell, thermal liner, and moisture barrier. Access to all three layers from a single U.S.-based supplier allows garment manufacturers to test the fabrics as a system while ensuring a complete chain of custody for the material — which can minimize delays and get gear into the hands of firefighters faster.
Read More…​​
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What Wicked Reminds Us About Manufacturing
Forbes | December 20, 2024
“At first glance, Wicked — an epic tale of misunderstood witches, flying monkeys, and soaring potential — might seem far removed from the practical world of manufacturing. But if you look closer, both are stories of transformation, innovation, and defying expectations. Just as Wicked went from quirky concept to cultural phenomenon, American manufacturing is reinventing itself to reclaim its role as a global powerhouse.”
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This isn’t industry news, but we thought it was a surprisingly interesting comparison and wanted to share. Also, we just don’t get enough chances to talk about musicals in Behind the Seams…
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Garment Manufacturing Destinations Tipped for Success in 2025
Just Style | December 19, 2024
“It is widely accepted there will be an acceleration in fashion brands sourcing from countries where they have more political alignment as costs continue to surge, trade policies become less favorable, and expectations to comply with social and environmental sustainability rise.” Just Style asks industry experts to share their insights on the top garment manufacturing countries to watch in 2025.
