Explore the export performance of textiles and apparel ‘Made in the USA’: a firm-level analysis

Abstract

This study explored the export behaviors of the U.S. textile and apparel (T&A) manufacturers and related affecting factors. Based on a logistic regression analysis of the 122 U.S. T&A manufacturers collected from the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) ‘Made in the USA’ database, the study finds that the product category and the size of the firm were both statistically significant factors that affected the U.S. T&A manufacturer’s likelihood of engaged in exports. The result of contingency analysis also shows that Western Hemisphere was a preferred export destination for the U.S. T&A manufacturers than other regions in the world. The findings of the study significantly enhanced our understanding of the export behaviors of the U.S. T&A manufacturers and the state of the U.S. T&A industry in today’s global economy.

Keywords:

• Made in the USA
• textile and apparel
• export behaviors
• Western Hemisphere

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 In this study, the ‘textile industry’ refers to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 313 and 314. Related, ‘textile firms/manufacturers’ refer to those companies that make fibers, yarns, fabrics, and finished textile products (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). The ‘apparel industry’ in this study refers to NAICS code 315. Related, ‘apparel firms/manufacturers’ refer to those companies involved in the business of cutting and sewing of a garment and apparel accessories (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017).

2 In this study, ‘Made in the USA’ refers to products that are produced in the United States. These products are typically labeled as ‘Made in the USA’ or alike.

3 When a manufacturer makes both textiles and apparel products, it was coded as ‘1’ in this study.

4 When a manufacturer exports to the Western Hemisphere AND other markets, it was coded as ‘1’ in this study.