FIT Goes to Washington
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From USA-ITA OFF THE CUFF, February 2012 (Volume 3, Issue 2)
This month, USA-ITA welcomed honors students from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Department of International Relations to Washington, D.C. The students visited Washington on February 1st and 2nd to meet with USA-ITA as well as government agencies and embassies to conduct research on working with U.S. cotton in FTA countries and create a “how-to” manual for companies.
FIT students meet with USA-ITA's Julie Hughes and David Spooner
The students arrived on Wednesday, February 1st, and met with USA-ITA President Julie Hughes and USA-ITA Washington Counsel David Spooner. Over lunch, the students gained a better understanding of the key players in the textile and apparel trade industry, as well as the issues companies face in utilizing FTAs.
Following lunch, USA-ITA Membership Director Maggie Barr accompanied the students on meetings with industry players throughout Washington. They met with: Kim Glas, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles & Apparel, and her team at the U.S. Department of Commerce; John Leonard, Director of Textile & Apparel Policy Programs, and Jackie Sprungle, Branch Chief for Textiles, at U.S. Customs & Border Protection; Monica De Narvaez and Carolina Acosta, Trade Counselors at the Colombian Government Trade Bureau; and, Jose Lambour, Commercial Attaché at the Guatemalan Embassy. The students learned all about how FTAs are implemented, what goods qualify for duty-free treatment and what the process of verification entails, and snapshots of Columbia’s and Guatemala’s trade of cotton goods with the U.S.
On Thursday, February 2nd, the students had another busy day, meeting with Shethir Riva, Chief of Research and Promotion Cotton & Tobacco Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; analysts Kim Freund and Andrea Boron at the International Trade Commission; and, Gail Strickler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles. During these meetings, the FIT team discussed the Permanent Bale Identification system, learned how trade data can be used, and learned about the intricacies of the importing process. During the course of these meetings, the students expressed their delight in having the chance to meet with several officials they’ve learned about in their coursework.
FIT students meet with the International Trade Commission (ITC)
Over the next year, the students will use this information and talk more with USA-ITA and member companies about using U.S. cotton for apparel products. The end result will be a “how-to” manual for brands and retailers to better understand how to use U.S. cotton while taking advantage of duty-free benefits. We will keep our members informed about the project, which will surely be worthwhile given the complexities of the trade agreements.
As you know, FIT students frequently volunteer to assist with registration at our events in New York, so we were happy to help them with this unique learning opportunity.