Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Imports Are We, as consumers, are being shortchanged. The quality, price and fashion values of American-made textiles and apparel are being swept aside as foreign imports flood American markets. America's domestic manufacturing capacity is threatened, as well. Hundreds of thousands of job opportunities are being lost. And competition suffers in the marketplace. The American textile and apparel industry faces the greatest threat in its 200-year history. What's Being Done About This? Clinton Mills, as well as American industry associations, including man-made and natural fiber producers, and a broad array of textile and apparel manufacturing groups, have created a nationwide effort to increase public awareness of the high quality, dollar bargains and fashion values available in American textile and apparel products. Right at the center of this program are you and I, the employee consumers, who are concerned more than ever with quality and value American textiles and apparel offer.. Industry Still For the textile industry a year ago, the nup<;tinn wac. hnw/ tn tan thp nrpfprpnrp Americans have for American products in a market flooded with imports. The answer was "Crafted With Pride In U.S.A." Here is a nationwide program that reminds everyone?textile employees, their families, suppliers, merchants, politicans, the press?that buying American makes good shoppers and good citizens. The campaign has attracted every segment of the industry, from fiber producers to apparel manufacturers and textile plants. They are telling the story of the 2.4 million men and women who work in the industry. A series of launches in major textile centers has focused on employees and community leaders. From there, interest is growing as Americans begin to see the distinctive "Crafted" logo on apparel and home fur nisnings. In its second year the "Crafted With Pride" program plans call for greater nationwide visibility building on the foundation of involved employee and community leaders. Textile Week focused on "Crafted" is aimed at strengthening that base. As part of the "Crafted" campaign, Americans have been learning about the damage done by imports. For example, if textile pro ducts made in the U.S.A were purchased instead of imports, 750,000 job opportunities would be created What sets "Crafted With Pride" apart from tvDical industrv Dromotions is that it is not a passive campaign: success depends on involving the buying public. Here are some keys to the "Crafted With Pride" program being successful: Be label conscious Examine hotne fur nishings and apparel for country of origir labels. Ask retail merchants why more Amer ican products aren't on sale. Remind your family and friends that i everyone spent $20 more on American tex I tile products instead of imports, 100.00C new |obs would be created. "Crafted With Pride" is the theme of the textile industry as it meets "head on" the threat posed by cheap, imported textile goods. Wiping Out Virtually all the modern improvements and inventions in fibers, textiles, and clothing were born in the United States: wash and wear, permanent press, soil release, flame retardants, stretch fabrics, fabrics to guard against heat and cold and even bullet-proof fabrics. Fiber suppliers have devoted millions of dollars to research, and the textile industry has added even more to make it the most productive, efficient and innovative any where in the world. And for the consumer, apparel remains the biggest bargain of all. From 1967 through 1983 annual apparel consumer price increases averaged only 5.1 percent, while the annual increase for all consumer prices averaged 12.9 percent. How Big Is The Problem? Imagine stretching a bolt of fabric to the - TU~4?~ OOO OCT ^ . I KU... IIIUUM. I I id l b ?JO,o J / imicrb away, nuw miagine that same bolt of fabric falling back to the earth and extending three-quarters of the way up to the moon. That's how much textiles and apparel?10.3 billion square yards?will be imported into the United States this year. Enough to wrap 16 belts Focusing on C ^ ? yN u.S>' (if /( \^ LOOKR It Means It It Mean! American Tc around the earth's equator with enough left c over for another belt that wouldn't quite fit. v Twenty-five ago you could walk into the c average clothing department and find fewer than four imported garments for every 100 made in America. But today: 37 out of 100 children's playsuits are imported; 58 out of 100 girls' and women's swea- J ters are imoorted: and 68 out of 100 men's cotton sportscoats are imported. The list goes on and on. It all adds up to a projected $19 billion in textile and apparel imports for 1984, compared to a little over $4 billion a decade ago. From 1973 to 1983 employment in the industry dropped 23 percent. putting more than a half-million men and women out of work. At least that many more jobs may be lost in the next ten years. When the competitive abilities of American manufacturers are threatened, foreign producers may gain substantial control of American markets. And then prices rise. It's already happened to steel, autos, electronics and machine tools. America's plants close down. American textile employees lose jobs. Retailers lose rafted With Pri m ^ DR THE U.S./ > Value It Means Made Means Jobs for Americ 3 a Stronger Economy f Page 7 ixtile Jobs :ustomers. Unemployment payments and welfare expenses go up. Fewer products are Dn the market. Everybody suffers. What Can We Do? We Americans have the ingenuity and dedication to out-think and out-produce any one in the world. You can help support America's oldest manufacturing industry in the following ways: The next purchase you make?and every one thereafter?stop, think and ask: "Was it made in America?" Look for the "Crafted With Pride in U.S.A." or other "Made in America" label. Tell merchants you prefer Americanmade products. Ask merchants to stock, identify and promote American textile and apparel products. Inform merchants that buying American-made garments and textile products creates jobs and fuels the economy. Involve your family, friends and neighbors, too. And remember: Buy textile and apparel products "Crafted With Pride in U.S.A." It will keep American jobs in America and keep America healthy and strong. de in USA Clabel In America :ans A ! or America