What You Missed in Austin!
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Austin for the 2025 SPESA Advancements in Manufacturing Technologies Conference! Bringing this event to Austin was a bit of an experiment for us, and we are very happy that we did. You are all a big part of our success, and we look forward to hosting you again soon!
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For those of you who weren't able to attend in person, here is a chance to see what you missed!
INDUSTRY NEWS | 4.23.25
White House Considers Slashing China Tariffs To De-Escalate Trade War
The Wall Street Journal | April 23, 2025
The Trump administration is considering slashing its steep tariffs on Chinese imports — in some cases by more than half — in a bid to de-escalate tensions with Beijing that have roiled global trade and investment, according to people familiar with the matter.
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Intermax Co. LTD. & Aaron Corp. dba JP Sportswear Enter Joint Venture Agreement
Press Release | April 23, 2025
JP Sportswear will be solely responsible for developing and supporting active and athleisure apparel brands and retailers throughout North America for the INTERMAX group of companies including MK Global, Maxcore and INTERMAX CO., LTD.
The new joint venture in the USA will focus on speed to market initiatives including rapid prototype development, market and product testing through small scale initial production launch, influencer collaboration as well as in-season product replenishment programs. The bulk production platform will be supported by the INTERMAX group of factories in Vietnam (expanding to additional S.E. Asian countries in 2026).
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Tariff Uncertainty Threatens Global Apparel Industry: IAF
Fibre2Fashion | April 21, 2025
The International Apparel Federation (IAF) recently penned an open letter warning against the damaging impact of U.S. punitive tariffs on global apparel supply chains, especially affecting China. While welcoming a partial pause, IAF has stressed that tariff uncertainty continues to destabilize the industry, discourage investment, and threaten livelihoods. The organization has called for collaborative, sustainable supply chain strategies and urges brands to honor commitments.
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At Seattle’s Filson, Challenge of Reshoring U.S. Factory Jobs Is Clear
The Seattle Times | April 19, 2025
An interesting case study for our industry. The shrinking of Filson’s Seattle-area manufacturing workforce parallels the broader decline in U.S. apparel production as companies have grappled with pandemic-related disruptions and inflation on top of decades of foreign competition.
In 2015, The Seattle Times reported that Filson made 90% of its clothes, bags, and other products in the United States, including in Seattle workshops. Today, according to Filson, just 35% of its products are made in the U.S., much of that by an outside vendor near Los Angeles, where Filson outsourced two-thirds of its remaining Seattle-area manufacturing, starting in late 2023.
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USA Global Trade Launches Binational Textile Initiative To Bridge U.S., Latin America
Press Release via eTextileCommunications | April 18, 2025
USA Global Trade LLC, a Miami-based sourcing and trade company led by textile engineer César Cary, has announced the launch of a strategic initiative designed to strengthen commercial and production ties between the U.S. and Latin America.
The project has two main objectives:
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Promote the use of U.S.-grown cotton both in U.S.-spun yarns and in spinning mills abroad — encouraging cleaner, more regionally integrated supply chains that start with American fiber.
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Explore the development of circular knitting operations in North Carolina or nearby textile hubs, adding value locally and revitalizing domestic production capacity.
“With over 20 years of experience in global yarn sourcing, I see strong potential to build a two-way bridge,” said Cary. “Latin American producers are eager to work with high-quality U.S. fibers, while the U.S. textile industry is well positioned to benefit from regional value chains and nearshoring strategies.”
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Shein's Tariff-Busting Shift Hits Home in Chinese Factory Hub
Reuters | April 16, 2025
The rapid rise of ultra-fast fashion retailer Shein has been so key to the fortunes of a group of urban villages on the outskirts of China's southern metropolis of Guangzhou that they have been colloquially dubbed "Shein villages".
Shein was able to become a behemoth selling over $30 billion worth of goods annually on a foundation of cheap prices and advantageous trade rules, such as the U.S. "de minimis" exemption that allows low-cost imports to enter the country duty-free.
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Trade Show Organizers Brace for Geopolitical Headwinds
Sourcing Journal | April 16, 2025
“The landscape of business communications has shifted significantly with the rise of digital tools; however, I firmly believe that trade exhibitions will still hold a crucial role in our marketing approach. These events provide unique opportunities for face-to-face engagement, which is instrumental in building and nurturing trust within our long-term relationships,” said Mostafiz Uddin, the founder and CEO of the Bangladesh Apparel Exchange and Bangladesh Denim Expo. “Even in an increasingly interconnected world, nothing quite compares to the personal connections that can be forged at trade shows. They allow us to not only showcase our products and services but also to interact directly with clients and potential partners in a meaningful way.”
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Moody’s Downgrades Retail’s Outlook on ‘Bleak’ Prospects Amid Trade War
Retail Dive | April 15, 2025
Moody’s Ratings is the latest firm to warn that tariffs will soon imperil many retailers, especially apparel and footwear brands and stores. Analysts led by Christina Boni changed their outlook for the industry from “stable” to “negative” following “sweeping tariffs that will hurt profitability for U.S. retail and apparel companies and raise prices for consumers, with a threat of more in mid-2025.”
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Tariffs May Fuel Supply Chain Financing Interest: Wells Fargo Exec
Supply Chain Dive | April 15, 2025
As large companies mull their supplier bases and evaluate payment terms amid ongoing tariff volatility, it has become an opportune moment for supply chain financing, says Jeremy Jansen, Managing Director of Supply Chain Finance at Wells Fargo.
The topic of supply chain financing is something that will be covered during the upcoming Texprocess Americas Symposium on May 6th.
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The Debrief | Can Tariffs Really Revive ‘Made in USA’ Fashion?
Business of Fashion | April 15, 2025
Some brands are adapting quickly, leveraging their domestic operations and leaning into a Made in USA identity. Others are reevaluating their reliance on China as their primary sourcing destination. But the prospect of a mass return of garment manufacturing jobs remains a remote possibility, most economists and fashion industry experts say.
In this episode of The Debrief, Business of Fashion correspondents Malique Morris and Marc Bain join executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to assess whether the dream of American-made fashion is any closer to reality.
Read More...
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Nine Ways Trump’s Tariffs Will Impact the U.S. Fashion Retail Sector
Just Style | April 15, 2025
GlobalData’s report titled “The impact of tariffs on U.S. retail” explains the steep tariffs on China, as well as the flat rate of 10% on many other countries come “as a blow upon a bruise for a retail sector that is already under growing pressure from slowing spend and growing consumer uncertainty.” The report adds: “Planned strategies to switch manufacturing locations have been severely blunted by the global nature of the tariff regime.”
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Simplifyber Secures $12m To Disrupt Bio-based Fashion Manufacturing
Just Style | April 14, 2025
U.S.-based materials start-up Simplifyber has secured $12 million in a Series A funding round led by Suzano Ventures to drive bio-based material innovation for fashion as well as a range of other soft goods. The capital infusion will bolster Simplifyber's operational growth by enhancing its expertise in materials science and mechanical engineering.
​Read More...
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What Small Fashion Brands Can Do When Tariffs Hit Hard
Glossy | April 14, 2025
“This is effectively an economic Cold War,” said Juan Pellerano, CMO at logistics platform Swap. “Tariffs aren’t just back, they’re evolving. Brands need to treat compliance and cost mitigation like a daily discipline.” That shift from scrappy independence to strategic collaboration marks a change in mindset. “The days of flying solo through global trade are over,” said Wood. “Now is the time to call in help, whether it’s from your freight partner, your tech stack or your community.”
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Inside Unifi’s Textile-to-Textile Recycling Operation
Sourcing Journal | April 11, 2025
Unifi launched its Textile Takeback program in 2022 with the goal of expanding its operation beyond plastic bottle recycling to textile-to-textile recycling to produce its signature Repreve recycled fiber. Last year, the company announced it would scale the program with an ambitious goal: recycling 1.5 billion T-shirts’ worth of textile and yarn waste by 2030.
“We’ve created a textile-to-textile system that actually works, and it’s available globally,” said Unifi CEO Eddie Ingle. “Our Takeback process keeps materials in circulation longer, and it conserves resources — these products are made from waste materials, replacing virgin petrochemical inputs.”
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Small Businesses May Take the Brunt of Tariffs, Even When They’re Based in the U.S.
Retail Dive | April 10, 2025
Small-scale boutiques, brands, and factories don’t have the deep pockets, diverse supply chains, or flexibility enjoyed by chains like Walmart. The apparel and footwear space is especially hard-hit. Given that most apparel sold in the U.S., by far, is made overseas, industry representatives and analysts warned in recent days that there will be little escape from the ensuing rise in costs. William Blair analysts Dylan Carden and Anna Linscott estimate that in the aggregate increase in merchandise cost will be about 30%, saying in an April 3rd note that “it is safe to assume companies will have to eat a fair share.”
Read More...
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Walmart’s New Gen AI Tool Cuts Lead Times on Fashion Items by 18 Weeks
Sourcing Journal | April 10, 2025
According to the company, the proprietary tool, which it calls Trend-to-Product, gathers and analyzes information from myriad trend sources online, which it then uses to create “on-trend, high-quality items with speed,” while maintaining low prices for its consumers.
The company said the technology has created a unique opportunity for it to keep up with trend cycles, particularly because of its size. The chain is the world’s largest retailer, and scaling products for specific markets can be a difficult task.
