WASHINGTON: "Made in China" will be a less frequent sight in US clothing stores if the United States has its way in a new trade pact negotiated among 12 Pacific Rim nations.
Washington aims to engineer a deal where Vietnam, set to be one of the big winners among the members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), would win apparel market share from China and other non-members, rather than Mexico and Central America.
Today, thanks to regional trade deals half of US yarn and textile exports head south of the border, where cheap labor transforms them into clothes that mostly make it back to American shoppers, duty-free.
Many in the $57 billion US yarn and textile industry fear the new pact, billed as the world's most ambitious trade agreement, will destroy that business model, which has helped the sector rebound from a decade-long slump and sustains more than 1.5 million regional jobs.
A US official who spoke on condition of anonymity said tools such as rules of origin, which say how much local content is required to win duty-free status, and different timetables for tariff cuts could protect regional interests while also providing value for Vietnam.
People in the United States familiar with the negotiations are confident Vietnam could take considerable market share from China and other countries without trade preferences.
"If damage is done to Central America by the TPP, that has a devastating effect on the industry here," said Bill Jasper, chief executive of synthetic yarn maker Unifi.
"If structured properly and intelligently negotiated I think the majority of the impact is going to be on China and not on this region."
Clothing is a priority for Vietnam, which is hosting a round of negotiations on the pact this week, but is just one of many issues for other countries, which may seek concessions in other areas in return for siding with Washington on textiles.
The other TPP countries are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Singapore.
In practice, different treatment of sectors depending on their US economic impact could mean longer wait for tariff cuts on cotton garments like underwear and men's knit shirts, where Central America has greater market share. Tariffs on products where China dominates, such as down-filled jackets and synthetic dresses, could be cut quickly, giving Vietnam an edge.
Fabrics like silk and herringbone tweed, not mass produced by TPP nations, could bypass rules of origin demanding all clothing inputs from yarn on be sourced within the TPP, the US official said, although Vietnam and many US retailers would prefer a much longer list of exemptions.
Vietnam has already boosted its US-bound exports by 38 percent since 2010 even with tariffs adding as much as a third to costs. Peterson Institute for International Economics modeling forecasts a further 46 percent rise in total exports by 2025, while exports from Mexico, China and India would fall.
Based on labor costs alone, US and Central American textile firms are no match for their Asian rivals, although higher labor and environmental standards sought by the new pact are expected to push up costs for Vietnam.
Dan Nation, who heads the biggest US yarn spinner, Parkdale Mills, said a living wage, benefits and respect for the environment were built into the cost structure of firms in the Americas, unlike in Vietnam, which the US Department of Labor says is using child and forced labor.
"We have to do things they don't have to do, and we pay a lot more than 72 cents an hour," Nation said.
Still, the Americas have the advantage of proximity: To the consumer, increasingly important for "fast fashion" chains such as Zara, H&M and Forever 21, and to cheap, high-quality US cotton. The benefits are substantial enough to keep investment pouring into the US cotton industry.
Canada's Gildan Activewear, which makes cotton wear in Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic using US yarn, is spending $340 million on US spinning while Chinese textile manufacturer Keer Group plans a $218 million yarn spinning plant in South Carolina. "Apart from labor, all other manufacturing elements are cheaper in the States than in China," said Wally Wang, deputy general manager at Keer America.
Many industry insiders and experts contend the pact, which Washington hopes will reach broad agreement by November, will spark further changes in global textile and apparel trade?
China's share of the US apparel market fell below 37 percent in mid-2014 from over 39 percent in 2010, while Vietnam's has grown to more than 10 percent.
"Vietnam is already less expensive than China, but then with the duty-free preference you might get a 12 to 32 percent duty break, that's going to make a huge difference," said Julia Hughes, president of the US Fashion Industry Association.
China's Ministry of Commerce did not respond to questions and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textile and Apparel declined comment.
But knitwear firm Shenzhou International Group, which is planning to build fabric and garment factories in Vietnam, said in an interim report last week unfavorable trade policies in major importing nations and rising manufacturing costs were crimping market share.
Other Chinese companies, such as fabric makers Texhong Textile Group and Pacific Textiles Holdings, also look to use Vietnam as a base.
Rules of origin will force Vietnam to replace China as the main external supplier of yarn and textiles while it develops its own industry — possibly looking at Malaysia, or maybe even the United States.
Still, many experts warn that even with such constraints, the Americas' market share may also shrink after the TPP is implemented.
"It will have an effect and it could be a large one," said Patrick Conway, chair of economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
‘Made in China’ clothing sales may shrink under Pacific trade pact
‘Made in China’ clothing sales may shrink under Pacific trade pact
Mapping Saudi soils to grow better crops
- Palm trees, root crops, and coastal plants reveal the land’s story
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s land tells stories written beneath the feet. From fertile plains and rugged highlands to vast deserts, the Kingdom’s diverse landscapes shape what can grow, where it grows, and how agriculture can thrive.
Alongside geography and climate, soil conditions play a decisive role in agricultural success. Understanding soil types across the Kingdom helps determine which crops can flourish and what interventions may be needed to sustain them.
In an interview with Arab News, Turki Almutairi, a senior environmental specialist at the National Afforestation Center under the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, outlined the main soil types found across Saudi Arabia.
“The dominant soil in the Kingdom are sandy desert soils, alongside calcareous soils in the central region. Rocky and stony soils are present along mountainous and hilly landscapes,” he said.
“Alluvial soils are common in wadies (valleys), while saline and sodic soils are located in depressions (Sabkhas) and along coastlines. Pockets of clayed soils can be also found around few sites along the Kingdom.”
The Kingdom’s vast territory gives rise to unique soil characteristics in each region, enabling different crops to grow depending on local conditions.
“Soil is the growing medium for plants. The role of soil includes structural stabilization, providing nutrients and a communication medium for plants,” Basil Nasir, soil lead at engineering consultancy William Sale Partnership, told Arab News.
According to Nasir, assessing soil use is essential before determining whether it is fertile or infertile, as different soils support different plant types.
“The soil used for trees differs from the soil used for ornamental plants and from the soil used for aquatic plants. It varies according to the specific needs of each plant, and based on this, we determine what the soil requires and assess its fertility,” he said.
Nasir explained that soil characteristics are shaped by both physical and chemical components. In addition to water and air, mineral particles such as sand, silt and clay are key indicators of soil health. Organic matter, derived from plant and animal remains, forms the fourth major component.
The balance between these elements determines soil behavior. One important physical trait is water-holding capacity, which influences what types of plants a soil can support.
Opinion
This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)
“If the soil is like dunes, adding water will cause it to run off, but if the soil is clay, its ability to retain water will be very high. If you add water and return the next day, you will find that the water is still there,” said Nasir.
Chemical properties, such as whether soil is alkaline or acidic, are equally important. Understanding both physical and chemical traits allows for proper assessment and treatment when needed.
“What determines whether a plant is suitable for a particular environment is primarily the plant's nature. For example, some plants have fibrous roots and therefore do not require well-draining soil,” Nasir added.
“A palm tree, for example, does not care whether it was planted in one soil or the other because its roots are fibrous. Therefore, palm trees are strong plants and are suitable to grow in both dry and wetlands, while preferring sandy areas.”
Crops such as potatoes, onions, carrots and beetroots — where the edible part grows underground — typically thrive in sandy soils. As a result, plantations of these crops are commonly found in northern regions such as Hail and in Wadi Ad-Dawasir.
In the eastern region, including Al-Ahsa, wetlands are more common due to climatic conditions. Growing plants in such environments often requires human intervention.
“Plants that are coastal or could be found in lagoons or lakes must have some sort of soil around them, like lotus flowers and mangrove trees.”
“An important parameter to keep in mind is that there is no air in its soil, and they are adapted to this condition. However, the lack of air, along with the presence of organic matter, will create a situation where anaerobic bacteria react with the soil, potentially causing diseases we can easily avoid,” said Nasir.
He emphasized that removing organic matter from such soils is essential to ensure plant survival in aquatic environments.
Mountainous and rocky regions in Saudi Arabia are generally volcanic, resulting in low water-holding capacity and challenging growing conditions. However, volcanic ash contributes to high fertility, allowing certain crops to flourish.
As a result, western regions support tree crops such as coffee, mangoes, some banana varieties and pomegranates.
As development accelerates across the Kingdom, soil improvement efforts are expanding under the National Greening Program.
“Soil is considered fundamental for the National Greening Program’s objectives. Understanding the soil variability along the Kingdom is a precondition for fostering sustainable soil management,” Almutairi told Arab News.
Adding, “In this line, the NGP is working towards the establishment of the Saudi Soil Information System (TURBA-KSA), which consists of mapping soils and its functional properties in the Kingdom using state-of-the-art technology.”
He also noted the creation of the “Land Rehabilitation Watch” to report, verify and monitor land rehabilitation nationwide.
“This milestone allows the Kingdom to understand how soil and land health are progressing against national and international targets of land degradation neutrality. Documenting good soil and land management practices is also important, so that those successful practices could be scaled up along the Kingdom, which is a priority task for NGP,” he said.
Raising public awareness is another key pillar of the program.
“Assessing different emerging technologies and soil amendments is a daily activity of NGP, as it then provides technical support to partners on the selection and application of these technologies.”
DID YOU KNOW?
• Saudi Arabia cultivates around 1 million hectares, mainly in Riyadh, Qassim, Hail, and Jouf.
• Farming follows the seasons: winter brings onions, garlic, and carrots, while summer yields watermelon, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
• The Kingdom is a top date producer, with over 31 million palm trees generating nearly 1.54 million tons, especially in Riyadh and Qassim.
Almutairi stressed that soil is often overlooked because it lies unseen beneath the surface, despite its critical role.
Yet soil produces 95 percent of food, stores water, holds more carbon than vegetation and the atmosphere, suppresses contaminants, regulates water, carbon and nutrient cycles, and hosts microorganisms linked to the human microbiome.
He emphasized the need to engage the general public, particularly urban communities disconnected from nature. Education helps people understand where food comes from and how contact with soil — such as walking barefoot — can support well-being. Healthy soils also contribute to cleaner water and air, he added.
Almutairi also called for stronger advocacy among decision-makers, noting that investment in healthy soils supports climate action, food security and sustainable development.
He concluded that key strategies include officially observing UN World Soil Day on Dec. 5, integrating soil education into curricula, launching annual social media campaigns, using art to raise awareness, and organizing public events that connect soils to everyday life.
