Retail Matters Podcast: America First, But What About American-Made? The Fashion Production Predicament

Donald Trump has entered his second presidential term with an “America First” trade agenda that’s already upending global supply chains. But for fashion, turning “Made in America” ambitions from a sound bite into a reality is far from simple.

Brands across the industry have been talking about bringing manufacturing back to the country for years, motivated by a combination of mounting trade tensions, concerns over worker’s rights and sustainability, and appetite for faster, more agile supply chains. It hasn’t happened.

To be sure, some retailers are making small batches of clothing domestically, but the US can’t support high volumes of apparel manufacturing at competitive prices without major infrastructure investment and incentives from regulators.