National Council of Textile Organizations and National Cotton Council Send Letter to Lead House & Senate Committee Members in Support of CBTPA

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WASHINGTON—The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and National Cotton Council (NCC)  sent a letter today to the chairs and ranking members of two key congressional committees today, voicing support for a timely  extension of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), which expires on Sept. 30.  The House Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Trade is holding a hearing on Thursday at 2:00 PM on this important trade preference program.

The CBTPA has provided a structured system of textile and apparel duty preferences for certain countries– most notably Haiti– since it was implemented in 2000. U.S. textile and cotton industries see significant benefits from the program, which has helped establish an export market for U.S.-grown cotton, U.S.-spun yarn and other textile materials of U.S. origin.

The U.S. content rule contained in CBTPA provides a mutual benefit to the U.S. industry and the Caribbean Basin region economies.

The associations’ support is contingent upon the trade program not being tied to other unrelated and harmful trade and tariff provisions as noted in their joint letter.

The NCTO and NCC sent the letter to House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Ranking member Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)

See the full letter here.

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NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 585,240 in 2019.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $75.8 billion in 2019.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $29.1 billion in 2019.
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.5 billion in 2018, the last year for which data is available.

As the unifying force of the U.S. cotton industry, the Memphis-based National Cotton Council has a mission of ensuring the ability of all industry segments to compete effectively and profitably in the raw cotton, oilseed and U.S.-manufactured product markets at home and abroad.

 

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PRESS CONTACTS:

National Council of Textile Organizations

Kristi Ellis

kellis@ncto.org  |  202.684.3091

 

National Cotton Council

Marjory L. Walker

mwalker@cotton.org (901) 274-9030