PPB June 2021

Born In The USA When U.S.-based companies and brands opt for American-made products, they are helping to support a much larger cause—the continuance of the domestic manufacturing industry. Ame r i can-made “ O ne-hundred percent American-made.” It’s more than just a catchphrase or a sales tactic. Products that carry a “Made in the U.S.A.” label indicate they are manufactured in U.S. factories by American workers. These products play a key role in keeping factory jobs filled and the country’s economy churning. In 2020, nearly 530,000 Americans worked in the U.S. textile industry, according to the National Council of Textile Organization, and U.S. textile and apparel exports that year totaled $64.4 billion. But for many American businesses, especially consumer goods, the U.S. is not the starting point in their products’ supply chain. In 2019, more than 97 percent of the clothing bought, sold and worn by Americans was manufactured overseas, writes Forbes . This means that when the average person opens their closet, most if not all of the clothing tags will indicate their jeans, tees, sweatshirts and pajamas originated elsewhere, the most common sources being China—the world’s largest textile manufacturer and exporter—India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. This wasn’t always the case. In the 1960s, by Danielle Renda LightField Studios / Anton Gvozdikov / Shutterstock.com. 18 | JUNE 2021 | INNOVATE