The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding President Barack Obama's commitment to double U.S. exports by 2015. Responding to a call for comments on the National Export Initiative (NEI), AAFA highlighted a ten-step plan that can help make the NEI's goal of doubling U.S. exports a reality.
“As an industry that makes everywhere and sells everywhere, the U.S. apparel and footwear industry stands behind the National Export Initiative,” said AAFA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “Opening new markets to the free flow of goods and improving current trade flows will allow U.S. companies and their goods to become even more competitive in the global market.”
“To achieve this goal, the Obama Administration and Congress must work in concert with stakeholders and the public to leverage and maximize every opportunity for growth,” Burke said. “We cannot afford to leave any option off the table. Whether improving access to export financing, continuing to open new markets, improving existing trade agreements, or even facilitating imports, every component is critical to realizing the final goal.”
Because one in five jobs in the United States is dependent upon international trade, embracing a forward-thinking and practical trade policy will have a direct and beneficial impact on our economy through job creation. It must be understood that creating jobs through trade means that those jobs will rely on trade as a sustaining factor. Closing markets and erecting barriers to trade either now or down the road will only erode job creation and cause a setback to the United States' overall economic health.
“AAFA applauds President Obama for committing to the goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015 for the purpose of creating two million new jobs and sustaining countless others,” said Burke.
“The U.S. apparel and footwear industry will continue to educate all stakeholders about solutions to the many challenges ahead, including education about the important role that U.S.-branded products play in creating and sustaining jobs in the United States.”
Click here to read about ten-step plan:
American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
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