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Central America still holding strong on the US policy radar

"However, one of the problems in the region compared to Asia-China in particular is merchandising, the response time, getting samples back, highlighted Tony Anzovino, President AAPN and Chief Sourcing and Merchandising officer, Haggar Clothing. Though it has started working on this direction. As per US Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA), the Western Hemisphere accounted for 6.5 per cent of the $2.33 trillion in textiles, apparel, leather and accessories imported to the US last year. For apparel alone, the Western Hemisphere accounts for 16 per cent of US imports, whereas Bangladesh, Indonesia and India combine for 15 per cent of those imports."

 

Central America still holding strong on the US policy radar 002The recently held 2018 pro:Americas NYC Regional Summit hosted by the American Apparel Producers Network (AAPN), brought an interesting analogy to the fore as seemingly Central American countries have been able to stay away from the tariff drama being imposed by Trump Administration. The reason behind this is the US has a trade surplus with Central America, and because of that it’s making money rather than losing it, stated Mike Todaro, MD, AAPN.

However, one of the problems in the region compared to Asia-China in particular is merchandising, the response time, getting samples back, highlighted Tony Anzovino, President AAPN and Chief Sourcing and Merchandising officer, Haggar Clothing. Though it has started working on this direction. As per US Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA), the Western Hemisphere accounted for 6.5 per cent of the $2.33 trillion in textiles, apparel, leather and accessories imported to the US last year. For apparel alone, the Western Hemisphere accounts for 16 per cent of US imports, whereas Bangladesh, Indonesia and India combine for 15 per cent of those imports.

The Western Hemisphere also counts for 57 per cent of men’s and boy’s man-made fibre knit shirts, 54 per cent of cotton knit shirts, 39 per cent of cottonCentral America still holding strong on the US policy radar 001 hosiery and 34 per cent of cotton underwear. For the year to date through April, textile and apparel imports from the CAFTA countries increased 2.35 per cent to $2.54 billion worth of goods, according to OTEXA. Honduras is first for the region in apparel, Mexico is second, El Salvador is third, Nicaragua is forth and Guatemala ranks fifth.

According to Anzovino, people are looking for speed, quality and consistency and if the region can supply it at the right price. To have something faster might be a more compliant environment. One key area lacking in the hemisphere, however is wovens, specifically synthetics. You can find everything you need in this hemisphere, but not necessary at the right price. But the region is extremely strong on the knit side, said Anzovino.

Value addition is the key

Hebe Schecter, President, Kaltex America, noted that parent company Grupo Kaltex, Mexican-owned, vertically integrated conglomerate, has grown to be a full-service textile company that produces acrylic fiber, yarn, fabrics, apparel and home textile products. Interaction with customers on a timely basis helps it achieve goal. Men’s custom shirt company Stantt used thousands of body scans, millions of data points and the latest 3D modeling software to create its 99 sizes that allows for anyone to find their perfect fit using three simple measurements --chest, waist and sleeve. The factory uses cutting edge technology and equipment to craft its shirts one at a time. Stantt makes and delivers the shirts in seven days, selling through e-commerce and specialty retailers like Nordstrom and Mitchell’s. And as the Matt Hornbuckle, co-founder & CEO, Stantt, said, by eliminating the waste of excess inventories and errors, they are able to use the highest quality materials and make them at a great value.

 
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