On a damp November morning a group of local, independent fashion designers converged on the Upper Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle. Why you ask? To begin a nearly four month journey to see who has the skills, and the vision to impress local fashion experts, and create The Look!
We recently had the opportunity to meet with Sam Kaplan, President of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle. With the Office of Textiles and Apparel coming to our Fall 2012 show to discuss the National Export Initiative Mr. Kaplan was very excited to learn of our show, and our efforts to revitalize the trade in the Puget Sound region. So excited in fact that the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle is now a co-media sponsor of the Seattle International Textile Expo.
The Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle promotes and connects Greater Seattle to opportunities with international markets, educates our region on the importance of international commerce, and grows regional prosperity through building and leveraging international connections.
Mr. Kaplan will be joining Kim-Bang Nguyen of the Office of Textiles and Apparel with the U.S. Department of Commerce for our panel on How To Increase Your Bottom Line with Exports. Mr. Kaplan will be discussing what’s happening at the local level to support regional businesses grow their international market.
The Trade Alliance is a regional partnership of the City of Bellevue, City of Everett, City of Seattle, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, the Port of Everett, Port of Tacoma, Port of Seattle, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber and union leadership.
The reaction was swift, and uncompromising when it was discovered that the uniforms to be worn by the athletes of the U.S. Olympic team were made in China. The Ralph Lauren press machine went into crisis communications mode issuing the statement,
Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government to address the issue to increase manufacturing in the United States. We have committed to producing the Opening and Closing ceremony Team USA uniforms in the United States that will be worn for the 2014 Olympic Games.
But will they? Will this be a tipping point in the increasingly nationalistic rhetoric towards reinvesting in U.S. based apparel manufacturing? Will Americans, outraged by this perceived slap in the face, be willing to pay higher prices for goods manufactured with the ‘Made in USA’ label? Will our political leaders finally stop playing partisan games and put actions behind their words by working together?
All of this remains to be seen, but just maybe this most current Public Relations blunder will benefit those organizations that have been working for years to accomplish these things. Small, regional business incubators have been active for years in the shadows trying to help create U.S. jobs with in the fashion and apparel cluster in cities like Chicago, Washington D.C., Seattle and more.
These regional incubators have recently organized a National Coalition of Fashion Incubators, and have been advocating the issue of ‘Made in USA’ apparel jobs for over three years. Both individually and collectively. Perhaps this national spotlight will help propel their coalition to the forefront and help them affect real change with jobs creation in our great nation?
If you would like to support their efforts you can make a tax deductible donation to DCFashionFoundation.org, and note the National Fashion Incubator Coalition as recepient.
Exporting can mean profits! Learn how to do it successfully!
We are pleased to introduce Ms. Kim-Bang Nguyen from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Ms. Nguyen will be covering the objectives of a newly implemented Federal export initiative, The National Export Initiative (NEI), to help U.S. companies get started in exporting or increase sales to new global markets. She will also explain the many government programs aimed at aiding businesses looking to sell abroad.
Ms. Nguyen serves as Director of Export Promotion/Strategic Business Alliances for the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA). Ms. Nguyen’s current portfolio includes overseeing administrative operations of OTEXA’s export promotion program, and organizing trade events for both home/contract textiles, and men’s, women’s and children’s apparel. In her position as Director of Strategic Business Alliances, Ms. Nguyen functions as liaison for business match-making and supply chain and logistic issues between industry and the U.S. Government.
Spanning more than 26 years of service with OTEXA, her experience and exposure to multiple textile industry sector positions include work as an International Trade Specialist where she negotiated bilateral trade agreements and monitored trade restrictions on textiles and apparel imports into the United States.
Attend this FREE seminar with your registration to our Fall 2012 Show.
For Immediate Release: May 17, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA) introduced legislation to increase exports and create jobs. One out of every three jobs in Washington state is tied to exports, and the McDermott-Reichert bill would make simple, no-cost changes to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the United States’ export promotion efforts.
“What we’re doing here is just good government work – there are 20 federal agencies promoting U.S. exports, but their work overlaps and they don’t have a clear annual plan that’s laser-targeted at what businesses need,” said Congressman McDermott, who is the Ranking Member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee. “There is also a data problem – we need to make sure that businesses and government are getting accurate data so we have the best possible information to assess how our economy is performing and what policies are and aren’t working, especially when it comes to growing exports and American jobs. We can work across party lines to fix these issues.”
Congressman Reichert, who is also a member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, said, “As a member of the President’s Export Council, I’m pleased to co-author this no-cost, bi-partisan legislation. I am happy to help American exporters in this economical way, recommended by the Council.”
The McDermott-Reichert bill, the “Efficient Export Promotion to Help American Businesses Act,” would require the Office of Management and Budget to coordinate export efforts and eliminate inefficiencies among the different agencies’ export promotion activities. The legislation also requires an annual report that assesses the effectiveness of the U.S.’s export promotion efforts. Finally, the bill would allow the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to use data from the international trade in services by partnerships and sole proprietorships so the BEA can provide much more accurate reports on U.S. trade activities like imports, exports, GDP, GNP, Balance of Payments and other economic statistics.
Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress
