Government Resources for the Clothing and Textile Industry
Official agencies, data sources and programs that apparel and textile companies use for importing, exporting, labeling and compliance
Government agencies publish tariff schedules, trade statistics, labeling rules and safety requirements that apparel and textile businesses rely on every day. This guide collects the main United States federal resources and explains what each is used for, organized by task: importing clothing and duties, textile and apparel trade data, exporting and finding markets, export financing, fiber content and care labels, and children's apparel safety. The resources below are the federal offices behind those tasks, with links to their official sites and to the trade agreements and reading pages that sit alongside them.
More to Explore
- USA Customs Issues
- Research Directory
- World Governments
- Education Fashion Industry
- Apparel Industry Reports
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)
- Trade.gov (formerly Export.gov)
- U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO)
- International Trade Administration (ITA)
- OTEXA
- U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)
- U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade Statistics
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
- USMCA
- NAFTA
- CBERA
- APEC
- CAFTA
- C-TPAT
- T-TIP
- AGOA
- Fabric Classifications from USPTO
- Commodity Description Lookup
- Fashion Industry Statistics
- Sun Protective Clothing: Wear it Well
- Sunscreens and Sun-Protective Clothing
- Phillips-Van Heusen
- Price Costco
- Ross Stores, Inc.
- Russell Corporation
- Salant Corporation
- Sara Lee Corporation
- Sears, Roebuck and Company
- Spiegel, Inc.
- Stage Stores, Inc.
- The Dress Barn, Inc.
- The Gap
- The Limited
- The Talbots, Inc.
- Tultex Corporation
- Venture Stores
- VF Corporation
- Wal-Mart Stores
- Warnaco Group
- Woolworth Corporation
- Fashion Industry Research Companies
- fiber Online Journal, University of Delaware
- Flax Fiber Farming in the Southeastern United States
- Fabric Classifications, Page 2
- Fabric Classifications, Page 3
- Fabric Classifications, Page 4
- Fabric Classifications, Page 5
- Fabric Classifications, Page 6
- Fabric Classifications, Page 7
Government Resources for the Clothing & Textile Industry
Find the official agencies, data sources and programs that apparel and textile companies use for importing, exporting, labeling and compliance.
Government Resources for Clothing & Textile Companies
- USA Customs Issues
- Research Directory
- World Governments
- Education Fashion Industry
- Apparel Industry Reports
Government agencies publish tariff schedules, trade statistics, labeling rules and safety requirements that apparel and textile businesses rely on every day. This guide collects the main U.S. federal resources and explains what each is used for.
Which Agency Does What?
| Need | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Importing clothing and duties | CBP, plus the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule |
| Textile and apparel trade data | OTEXA and the Census Bureau |
| Exporting and finding markets | Trade.gov and the International Trade Administration |
| Export financing | Export-Import Bank of the United States |
| Fiber content and care labels | Federal Trade Commission |
| Children's apparel safety | Consumer Product Safety Commission |
Key U.S. Government Resources
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)Enforces trade laws against counterfeit, unsafe and fraudulently entered goods and enables legitimate trade. Includes information about importing apparel and apparel duty rates.
- Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)
Official export credit agency of the U.S., financing exports of U.S. goods and services and filling gaps left by private lenders.
- Trade.gov (formerly Export.gov)
Helping U.S. companies export, with export basics, market research and trade specialists.
- U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO)
Official source for federal government publications.
- International Trade Administration (ITA)
Promotes U.S. exports and enforces trade laws.
- OTEXA
Office of Textiles and Apparel: textile and apparel trade data, category correlations and trade program information.
- U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)
Maintains the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and provides trade and tariff data.
- U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade Statistics
Foreign trade statistics, including import and export data.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Administers U.S. textile and apparel labeling rules such as fiber content and care labeling.
- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Enforces product safety rules for apparel, including children's clothing. See also CPSIA.
Trade Agreements & Programs
Fabric, Classification & Educational Reading
Educational reading
The Fashion Industry Statistics section is not limited to government sources, but includes relevant resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find U.S. tariff rates for clothing?
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule is published by the USITC. Look up the HTS number for your garment, then check the general rate and any special program rates.
Where do I find textile and apparel import statistics?
OTEXA and the Census Bureau publish import and export data by product and country.
Who regulates clothing labels in the U.S.?
The Federal Trade Commission enforces textile fiber content and care labeling rules, and CBP enforces country-of-origin marking at entry.
Are these resources free?
Most federal resources linked here are free to use. Rules and programs change, so confirm current requirements on the official site.
How to Use This Guide
Start from the task, not the agency name. For importing clothing and duties, the two stops are U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which enforces trade laws against counterfeit, unsafe and fraudulently entered goods and enables legitimate trade, and the U.S. International Trade Commission, which maintains the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and provides trade and tariff data. For textile and apparel trade data, the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) and the U.S. Census Bureau's international trade statistics publish import and export data by product and country, with OTEXA adding category correlations and trade program information for the textile and apparel sector.
For exporting, Trade.gov and the International Trade Administration help United States companies export, with export basics, market research and trade specialists, while the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the official export credit agency, finances exports of United States goods and services and fills gaps left by private lenders. For labeling, the Federal Trade Commission administers textile and apparel labeling rules such as fiber content and care labeling, and Customs and Border Protection enforces country-of-origin marking at entry. For product safety, the Consumer Product Safety Commission enforces safety rules for apparel, including children's clothing, with reference to the CPSIA. The U.S. Government Publishing Office is the official source for federal government publications behind all of these tasks. The guide also lists trade agreements and programs — USMCA, NAFTA, CBERA, APEC, CAFTA, C-TPAT, T-TIP and AGOA — and further reading, including the USPTO fabric classifications and the commodity description lookup.
Common Questions
Which federal agency finances United States exports when private lenders leave a gap?
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), the official export credit agency of the United States, which finances exports of U.S. goods and services.
Where can official federal government publications be found?
Through the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), the official source for federal government publications, listed among the key resources on this page.
Which agency enforces product safety rules for children's clothing?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which enforces product safety rules for apparel including children's clothing, with reference to the CPSIA.