The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has expressed strong support for the US Administration’s recent initiative to combat “unfair trade practices,” attributing such practices to shutdown of eight manufacturing facilities over the past quarter.
Rachel Lawler announced the new enforcement strategy, aims to sustain the domestic textile industry on 1st February 2024.
Alejandro N. Majorkas, the secretary of homeland security, has released thirty-day action plan that addresses these behaviors.
The strategy emphasizes working with the private sector and other authorities to improve the UFPLA Entity List and make sure businesses are held accountable.
But NCTO express some critical issues like- immediate steps for all free trade agreement (FTA) enforcement and maximizing penalties, all Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act [UFLPA] enforcement and maximize penalties, and close the de minimis loophole that is facilitating millions of unchecked packages a day into our market and hurting our industry.
In this regard, Secretary Majorkas said, “We are determined to mobilize the US Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and additional agencies to intensify crackdowns on illegal customs activities. This includes increased physical inspections and the application of advanced testing methods to identify violations, signifying an approach to protecting domestic textile production.”
