United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel

Joining the United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) offers a broad range of resources and enables you to better compete in today’s global market. 

A leader among the nation’s associations representing the textile and apparel importing industry, USA-ITA represents the interests of brands, retailers, importers, service providers, and suppliers before the U.S. Government and the international business community.

USA-ITA is an unparalleled resource for education, information, and advocacy to those involved in the business of textile and apparel sourcing, importing, and compliance.

In the past year, USA-ITA has taken an active role in:           

• Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Negotiations. USA-ITA leadership and members traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Chicago, and Lima with the TPP Apparel Coalition. USA-ITA regularly meets with negotiators and stakeholders to ensure that the TPP agreement will work for our industry.
• Strategies for Textile Enforcement. USA-ITA participated in a U.S. Customs & Border Protection Trade Day. USA-ITA President Julia K. Hughes and USA-ITA members met with U.S. Customs & Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin to discuss how CBP can focus its textile enforcement strategy and still offer improved benefits to USA-ITA member companies who follow the rules.
• Sourcing in the Western Hemisphere. USA-ITA worked with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to create and organize the Sourcing in the Americas Summit at MAGIC in Las Vegas in August 2011. MAGIC is the largest textile and apparel trade show in the United States. This year, MAGIC featured an Americas Pavilion highlighting producers in the Western Hemisphere, including USA-ITA members. The highlight of the event was engaging our members and the broader industry in discussions with Francisco Sanchez, Under Secretary of International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Sanchez spoke at MAGIC during a panel discussion with over 200 attendees as well as an intimate lunch with USA-ITA member executives.
• Human Rights & Sustainability. USA-ITA participates in coalitions to make policies that not only help our members, but also help make the world a better place. We have been outspoken on key corporate social responsibility issues including opposition to child labor in the Uzbekistan cotton industry, opposition to mulesing in Australia, and support for the expansion of labor rights in Bangladesh, to name a few.
• New Sourcing Opportunities. In addition to promoting sourcing in the Americas, USA-ITA partners with textile and apparel organizations across the globe to find new sourcing opportunities for our members. In 2011, we worked with the Mexican textile and apparel associations (Mexico Fits), the Source ASEAN Full-Service Alliance (SAFSA) in Southeast Asia, and the Inter-American Development Bank, who is building a CAFTA-DR sourcing database. USA-ITA frequently participates in international events, such as the Prime Source Forum in Hong Kong.
• Professional Development for the Industry. USA-ITA is dedicated to helping our members learn and grow professionally. In 2011, we hosted seminars and events in New York, California, Nevada, and of course, Washington, D.C., on topics ranging from the broad, like customs and the political climate, to the specific, like textile outsoles and Qualified Industrial Zones in Egypt and Jordan.

Membership Benefits

As a unified voice for the industry, USA-ITA works to shape the policies that affect the importing community.  Our members rely on our expertise to stay up-to-date on breaking trade policy and customs information as well as to navigate the complex rules and regulations affecting the industry.

Benefits of joining or affiliating with USA-ITA include…

News & Information. Receive exclusive publications packed with news and expert analysis. These communications include: news alerts and analysis from our staff and outside counsel, sent on an almost-daily basis; monthly customs overviews by our customs counsel; OFF THE CUFF, our monthly newsletter with feature articles and news about our members and the association; and regular event notifications. For more information about our publications, click here. 

Networking. Connect with brands, retailers, importers, leading industry service providers, and international suppliers, as well as government officials and experts.

Involvement. Serve on a USA-ITA committee and work with your peers to help draft comments and position papers and meet with top regulators to discuss issues of concern. For more information on our committees, click here.

Education. Stay up-to-date on the latest trade rules and regulations while receiving members-only discounts on conferences, seminars, and webinars.

Advocacy. We combine the knowledge and experience of our staff and counsel with our members to ensure a strong voice on the issues that matter to you. For more information about our advocacy efforts, click here.

Development. Promote your company through our events, communications, and other opportunities. Hiring? USA-ITA can help you find the right candidate from our large network of textile and apparel importing professionals by posting your job opportunity in our Career Center.

We invite you to join today and start taking advantage of the wide variety of benefits. To join, contact Membership Director Maggie Barr at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or apply online using the links below.

MEMBERSHIP: Brands, Retailers, & Importers 

MEMBERSHIP: Service Providers & Associates 

SUBSCRIPTION: International Suppliers & Organizations

Membership dues are 95% tax-deductible.