The DAS for Textiles and Apparel oversees programs and strategies to improve the domestic and international competitiveness of the U.S. fiber, textiles and apparel industries and to assist importers and retailers in facilitating fair trade practices affecting textiles and apparel goods. The DAS serves as Chairman of the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA), which supervises the implementation of all textile trade agreements. The DAS administers the implementation of textile trade agreement provisions, formulates trade policy, performs research and analysis, compiles industry data, and promotes U.S. trade events for a whole spectrum of textile and apparel goods.

The Director of the Office of Textiles and Apparel undertakes general management and administration of the Office and the textile program budget. The Director assists the DAS in establishing goals and priorities for the Textile and Apparel program. The Director oversees the development of information, options, and recommendations on a broad spectrum of issues for consideration by the DAS, including CITA policy, trade negotiations, export program priorities, and administration of funding for technology grants. The Director acts as CITA Chairman in DAS’s absence.

The Director, Strategic Business Alliances is a business relations coordinator, consulting with U.S. textile and apparel companies, retailers, and importers to cultivate international business opportunities and identify and address problems affecting their international business. The Director collaborates with textile and apparel industry, including importers and retailers, and other agency stakeholders on new programs to develop matchmaking projects to emphasize U.S. textile and apparel products in the international market. The Director develops information on design, supply chain, retailing, and other topics that may facilitate U.S. textile and apparel companies’ participation in international markets and directs dissemination of such information to assist the industry in the promotion of their business.

The Supervisor manages a Team that develops and makes policy recommendations affecting trade in textiles and apparel and participates in multilateral and bilateral trade agreement negotiations and consultations relevant to countries in each region. The Team provides information on topics that impact the textile and apparel industries, such as IPR, Customs procedures and documents, international transportation of goods, international finance, tariffs and taxes and the dissemination of such information to assist the industry in the promotion of their business. The Team develops trade promotion events to inform stakeholders of benefits of FTAs, potential markets for business, and the creation of new business opportunities for U.S. companies. The Team conducts research into U.S. access to foreign markets, reviews potential barriers to compliance with existing trade agreements, and initiates textile-specific market access and compliance cases. The Team develops plans to collaborate with U.S. industry on identifying and addressing trade problems affecting the U.S. textile and apparel industries.

The Eastern Hemisphere Team evaluates the current state of the domestic fiber, textile, and apparel industries and develops and maintains economic data and information concerning these industries and markets, administers Congressionally-funded grants for the textile and apparel, and evaluates legislation that impacts the textiles and apparel industries, including the Berry Amendment. The Western Hemisphere Team administers the statutory Wool and Cotton TRQ programs that provide temporary import tariff relief to U.S. producer’s of men’s and boys’ tailored worsted wool clothing and higher-end men’s and boys’ cotton dress shirts.