Speaking this afternoon at a U.S. House Small Business Committee Hearing on worldwide American competitiveness, CEO of Alice Manufacturing, Smyth McKissick, urged lawmakers to endorse textile and apparel trading rules in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that are 'cornerstones' of every major free trade agreement since NAFTA.
Mr. McKissick testified before the House Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access.Mr. McKissick warned in his testimony that a poorly negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will cause widespread textile, apparel and manufacturing job losses in the United States and the Western Hemisphere."
The TPP is the largest free trade agreement since NAFTA that the U.S. is negotiating with eleven other nationsIf properly structured, the U.S. textile industry is poised to continue a positive trajectory of growth. However, if weak rules are adopted, particularly given Vietnam's participation in the TPP, our industry will be at the mercy of an unfair free trade agreement, which will decimate the United States textile industry once again."
Also included in Mr. McKissick's testimony were concrete examples of U.S. policies which have complimented domestic manufacturing and job growth in recent years, including an enforced "yarn forward" rule of origin."
The yarn forward rule of origin has been especially important to our industry. The yarn forward rule of origin means that the yarn used to form fabric, dyeing and finishing of fabric, and the final cut, sew, and assembly must occur in a free trade partner country to gain U.S. market access. Yarn forward has been the standard bearer in the creation of nearly $25 billion in two-way trade between the industry and our FTA partners. The rule has been the primary force behind the more than two million textile and apparel jobs in the United States and amongst our Western Hemisphere free trade partners."
