Source: Xinhuanet 2025-08-25 14:21

Recently, at the autumn clothing and footwear order fair held in Las Vegas, USA, tariffs became a hot topic of discussion. Representatives of several participating enterprises told Xinhua News Agency reporters that the US tariff policy has put the global fashion and clothing footwear industry under pressure such as rising costs, compressed profits and supply chain uncertainties, and the entire industry feels "tense and anxious".

The Las Vegas Clothing, Footwear and Accessories Fair is one of the largest exhibitions of its kind in North America, showcasing the latest trends in clothing, footwear and accessories, while providing a platform for cooperation and communication for enterprises. The exhibition was supposed to bring market confidence and business opportunities, but the shadow of tariffs has made exhibitors generally worried.

Christina Lowe, vice president of sales and merchandise at the Canadian women's wear brand Tribar Fashion, told Xinhua News Agency that the entire industry is unclear about the direction of the US tariff policy. For manufacturers, this uncertainty is terrifying. We must deal with policy changes without passing all the costs on to consumers, which is a huge challenge.

She said that the company has production bases in countries such as China, Guatemala, India, Bangladesh and Turkey. Different countries have special advantages in certain product fields that are difficult to replace. For instance, China excels in the fabrics and craftsmanship of swimwear and denim products, making it difficult to find alternatives of the same quality and price. In the face of rising tariffs, the company has raised the prices of its Spring 2026 women's wear collection by approximately 7%, seeking a balance between market acceptance and survival pressure.

The uncertainty of tariff policies has put many enterprises in a difficult situation. During interviews, journalists learned that some enterprises are considering relocating their supply chains to other regions to alleviate the cost pressure brought about by rising tariffs. However, due to the particularity of raw materials and production quality and other factors, many enterprises cannot easily move their supply chains and can only absorb the rising cost pressure on their own or pass it on to consumers by moderately raising prices.

Farid Nickfarjam, a representative of the American men's clothing company Bravo Group, told reporters that the men's shirts, jeans, coats and other items sold by the company are all made in China. The company has been cooperating with Chinese factories in Shandong, Zhejiang and Fujian for many years, and its supply chain is very stable. He said that the company was "under great pressure". The market segment we are in is highly sensitive to prices, but the extent of price increases is very limited. Once the price increases too much, it will be squeezed out of the market by the price war of competitors. He said that the tariff policy is full of uncertainties and the company can only wait and see.

The American enterprise Global Footwear Company also takes China as the main production area of its products, including Guangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou, etc. The company's president, Chris Schner, told reporters that Chinese manufacturing has obvious advantages in leather quality, production processes and costs. He said that the company had tried to find an alternative factory in Southeast Asia, but the quality of the trial samples was not as good as those made in China, so it was decided to maintain the existing supply chain.

The Canadian women's clothing enterprise Orange Fashion Hub focuses on bamboo cotton denim series and is deeply bound with the Chinese supply chain. Nafisha Bawa, the founder of the company, told reporters that bamboo seeds are produced in China and that bamboo fiber products are most suitable to be manufactured in China. We have maintained long-term cooperative relationships with some retailers for many years and do not want price hikes to affect our customer relationships.

Industry insiders point out that the direction of the US tariff policy remains a key variable for the global fashion supply chain and market confidence. Lorey, an executive of Tribar Fashion Company, told reporters that these months have been very tough for the entire industry, "We are all in the same boat."

(Tan Jingjing, Huang Heng)

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