NTC GRANT

Strategies for Increasing Competitiveness of the
Domestic Textile and Apparel Industries:
A Production-Cost Approach

OBJECTIVES:

The objective of this research is to identify ways in which to improve the competitiveness of U.S. textiles and apparel industries in the global marketplace. Understanding the competitive situation of domestic textiles and apparel requires an examination of technological factors that affect efficiency and cost, such as the production structure of domestic firms, technological change, firm size and innovation, and economic factors, like government policy, NAFTA/CBI, and foreign exchange rates that affect the industries’ ability to compete.

In order to meet these goals the project looks at the following issues:

The Cost Structure of the U.S. Textile and Apparel Industry: Industry and Sector Level Analysis

	The Effects of NAFTA, Labor Wages and Exchange Rates on the Pattern of U.S. Textile and Apparel Trade.
	The Capital Structure of U.S. Textile and Apparel Firms: Impact of Profitability, Import Penetration, Exchange Rates and Tax Incentives