The Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) conducts industry analysis, contributes to the development of U.S. trade policy, participates in trade negotiations and promotion activities, and addresses trade barriers. OTEXA works with other U.S. Department of Commerce units and federal agencies to develop a public policy environment that strengthens the competitiveness of the U.S. textile and apparel industry both domestically and internationally. A key factor behind OTEXA’s success is its strong collaboration with industry associations and individual companies in the sector.

OTEXA is administered by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, and Materials, who also chairs the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).(CITA)CITA is an interagency group responsible for issues affecting textile trade policy. It oversees textile and apparel provisions in free trade agreements and trade preference programs and coordinates efforts to combat illegal textile and apparel transshipment.

What Does OTEXA Do?

• Publishing Trade Data: Publishes comprehensive import and export statistics for textiles, apparel, footwear, and travel goods.
• Free Trade Agreements: Supports the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in negotiating trade agreements representing the interests of the fiber, textile, apparel, footwear, and travel goods industries. 
• Trade Preference ProgramsManages textile and apparel provisions of trade preference programs including African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), and Haiti HOPE/HELP programs. OTEXA also administers rules related to commercial availability, anti-circumvention, and folklore provisions and determines annual quota levels.
• Commercial Availability: Processes requests to determine whether specific fibers, yarns, or fabrics are available in commercial quantities from trade partner countries and provides recommendations to CITA.
• Export Promotion: Supports and promotes export programs that help increase overseas sales of U.S.-made textile and apparel products, including trade missions, participation in trade events, and market research.
• Made in the USA Suppliers DirectoryProvides a directory of U.S. companies in the textile, apparel, footwear, and travel goods industries to facilitate business-to-business (B2B) connections.
• Addressing Trade Barriers: Works with the International Trade Administration (ITA), USTR, and industry stakeholders to address foreign trade barriers affecting exports of U.S. textile, apparel, footwear, and travel goods.
• Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs): Advises the Foreign Trade Zones Board on potential impacts of FTZ proposals related to textile products.
• Miscellaneous Tariff Bills (MTBs): Reviews petitions and makes recommendations regarding the temporary suspension of tariffs on imported textiles, apparel, footwear, and travel goods.
• Textile and Apparel Industry Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC 12)Manages the ITAC 12 committee, which provides trade policy recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative.