U.S. Textile Industry Demonstrates Resilience Amid Global Disruptions, Secures Major Policy Wins
State of the U.S. Textile Industry Address
April 16, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. –National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Chairman Chuck Hall delivered the trade association’s State of the Industry overview at NCTO’s 22nd Annual Meeting on April 16.
Hall’s speech outlined (I) the U.S. textile industry’s major challenges and policy achievements last year, (2) the strategic importance of the U.S. textile supply chain to the economy and national security, and (3) NCTO’s 2026 policy priorities for domestic textile manufacturers.
“Despite weakening in some fundamentals, I remain cautiously optimistic that the industry will once again navigate the disruptions and remain resilient this year,” Hall said. “Several policy wins and significant progress in key priority areas will generate more business opportunities for the industry and thus provide a basis and foundation for optimism in 2026.
A link to the NCTO chairman’s remarks as prepared for delivery are included here along with a link to a data infographic prepared by NCTO illustrating the current economic status of the U.S. textile industry.
NCTO’s top advocacy priories in 2026 include:
- Preserving duty-free treatment for USMCA and CAFTA-DR qualified textile and apparel goods
- Heightening advocacy aimed at the administration and Congress to secure tariff exemptions for textile manufacturing inputs and machinery not available in the United States
- Intensifying engagement to protect and expand the Berry Amendment through the National Defense Authorization Act and the House Berry Amendment Caucus
- Expanding government procurement of American-made textiles and uniforms across all federal agencies
- Robust engagement with the administration on customs enforcement to combat rampant fraud
Hall is President and CEO of Barnet, a technical textile manufacturer headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
NCTO’s annual meeting was held April 14-16 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.
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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 453,122 in 2025.
- The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $60.9 billion in 2025.
- U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $27 billion in 2025.
- Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $5.50 billion in 2024, the last year for which data is available.
CONTACT:
Kristi Ellis
Vice President, Communications
National Council of Textile Organizations
kellis@ncto.org | 202.281.9305
