U.S. Textile Industry Commends Administration on Reciprocal Trade Agreement with El Salvador that Bolsters the Domestic Supply Chain
January 29, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber, yarn and fabrics to finished sewn products, lauded the administration’s reciprocal trade agreement with El Salvador announced today.
National Council of Textile Organizations President and CEO Kim Glas:
“NCTO and our industry greatly appreciate the administration’s actions on qualified textile and apparel goods for El Salvador under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). These steps will help fortify a critical export market for the U.S. textile industry and our workforce.
“We sincerely thank President Trump, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, and the administration for finalizing this important reciprocal trade agreement. El Salvador is part of the CAFTA-DR region that forms a vital co-production chain with the American textile supply chain. This production chain facilitated $11.3 billion in two-way trade in 2024 and supported more than 470,000 U.S. workers in the domestic textile sector alone.
“Today’s action will reinforce the strength of the U.S. textile industry. The U.S.–Western Hemisphere supply chain is a strategic bulwark against China and other Asian competitors. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Trump administration to further fortify this vital region and strongly appreciate this important announcement.”
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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.
- U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 471,046 in 2024.
- The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $63.9 billion in 2024.
- U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28 billion in 2024.
- Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.98 billion in 2022, the last year for which data is available.
CONTACT:
Kristi Ellis
National Council of Textile Organizations
kellis@ncto.org| P: 202.281.9305
