Kim Glas, CEO, National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) believes, the US can overturn China’s domination in the global textile and apparel market by introducing a new policy to expand production of medical textiles. At a recent US Senate Homeland Security meeting, Glas advised the US government to set up strong domestic procurement rules for federal PPE purchases, and other essential products similar to the Berry Amendment and the Kissell Amendment, and issue long-range contracts to incentivize investment in the domestic PPE manufacturing base.

Glas highlighted the need to create federal incentives for private sector hospitals and large provider networks to purchase US-made PPE. She also urged for the continuation of the Defense Production Act to drum up the industrial base from raw materials to end products for all essential products.

Last year the US employed 530,000 people in the textile supply chain was. The value of shipments for US textiles and apparel was $64.4 billion last year. In addition, U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $25.4 billion.