The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has praised former US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff plan, emphasizing its potential to strengthen the domestic textile industry and counter unfair trade practices.

NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas commended the plan, highlighting its role in rebalancing US trade and protecting the 471,000 workers in the textile sector. The organization also welcomed the administration’s decision to maintain duty-free trade for Mexico and Canada under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which facilitates $20 billion in two-way trade and supports American textile jobs.

Glas stressed that preserving duty-free, qualified trade is crucial for boosting US textile manufacturing, encouraging companies to expand production domestically. The NCTO also applauded the administration’s firm stance against China, Vietnam, and other Asian suppliers, accusing them of engaging in predatory trade practices that have harmed US manufacturers for decades.

Additionally, the NCTO urged the administration to extend exemptions for duty-free trade to other Western Hemisphere partners, such as those under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). The region accounts for 70 percent of US textile exports and supports 2.6 million jobs.

The organization also lauded Trump’s move to reform the de minimis loophole, which allows millions of duty-free shipments, often containing unsafe or illegally made goods. Glas called for its full closure, emphasizing its role in circumventing US trade rules.

The NCTO pledged to work with the administration to enforce trade laws and penalize fraudulent actors, calling the tariff plan an opportunity to reshore production and expand US textile jobs.