Industry News | 1/8/2026

By SPESA

CFDA And Ralph Lauren Announce Two New Grant Programs To Strengthen American Fashion Manufacturing

Press Release | January 7, 2026

The CFDA x NY Forward Grant Fund, developed with funding from both the New York State Department of State and Ralph Lauren Corporation (Ralph Lauren), will provide partially matching grants to designers and manufacturers based in New York City’s Garment District. The U.S. Fashion Manufacturing Fund, created with Ralph Lauren as founding partner, will support apparel manufacturers nationwide. Both programs aim to help companies to modernize equipment, expand services, and train workers – building the capacity and resilience of American fashion manufacturing.​

Read More...​

What’s Next for L.A. Manufacturing? 

Vogue Business | January 7, 2026

A year on from the fires that devastated Los Angeles, Vogue Business takes stock of fashion’s recovery and rebuilding efforts as part of its series, Refashioning LA, assessing where the city’s fashion and apparel industry is headed in 2026.​

Read More...​

İHKİB Unveils Supply Chain Transition Project for Türkiye Apparel Sector

Just Style | January 7, 2026

The Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB) has introduced a new 12-month project aimed at aiding manufacturers in meeting increased demands from global brands for traceability, low-carbon production, and digital reporting.​

Read More...​

Nike Agrees for Landmark Payout to Former Garment Workers After Long-Running Dispute

Apparel Resources | January 6, 2026

Nike has agreed to substantial payouts to thousands of former garment workers at a Thai supplier after nearly five years of sustained pressure from labor rights campaigners, marking one of the most significant compensation settlements in the apparel industry. 

Business of Fashion first covered the news back in 2020 when a group of 20 garment-worker unions and two labor-rights groups filed a complaint alleging the sportswear giant’s treatment of workers and unpaid wages violated OECD guidelines for responsible business conduct. You can read that coverage here.

Read More...

Why Trump’s Venezuela Operation Is Putting the Panama Canal Back in Play

Sourcing Journal | January 6, 2026

Approximately 40% of U.S.-bound container vessels travel through the Panama Canal, making it an essential corridor for U.S. trade. President Trump has made various overtures signaling a desire to bring the canal under U.S. control, or at the very least, ensure America has primary influence over the trade conduit.

Read More...

Fabric Forge Gives Back to Houston Community

Specialty Fabrics Review (ATA) | January 5, 2026

One of our favorite things to share in Behind the Seams is the good work being done across the sewn products industry. This is a perfect example. Thanks to Specialty Fabrics Review for highlighting Fabric Forge and its impact on the Houston market. We recommend you check out the profile (linked below) and learn more about one of our favorite Texans, Maddie DeJong and her company The Green Sling, which works in partnership with Fabric Forge to employ workers and produce its running belts made from upcycled leggings.

Read More...

The Forces That Will Shape Fashion’s Supply Chains in 2026

Vogue Business | January 5, 2026

Unpredictability was the theme for fashion’s supply chains in 2025, and the coming year looks to deliver much of the same turbulence. The key drivers of last year’s supply chain shocks for apparel sourcing teams — climate crisis events like floods and droughts, President Trump’s unpredictable tariffs, and a suite of looming laws — are likely to continue reshaping the industry’s sourcing map down to the raw material level.​

Read More...

​

NCTO CEO Kim Glas Highlights How Ending De Minimis Helped Level The Playing Field For U.S. Manufacturers & Protect Consumers

Press Release | January 3, 2026

“De minimis became an avalanche of duty-free trade to the United State marketplace that we could not control. It was a wildfire out of control. You cannot inspect 1.4 billion packages coming in a year into the U.S. marketplace,” Glas said.

In August, President Trump issued an executive order ending de minimis for all commercial shipments and Congress passed bipartisan legislation that codified the ban on de minimis beginning in July 2027.

Supply Chain Dive recently reported that the U.S. collected more than $1 billion in duty revenue from over 246 million low-cost shipments in 2025 after phasing out the de minimis exemption, per a December 17 announcement from Customs and Border Protection.

Read More...

President Trump Delays Higher Furniture Tariffs

Furniture Today | January 2, 2026

President Donald Trump signed a New Year’s Eve proclamation delaying higher tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for one year as trade negotiations continue with major partners.

The order keeps in place a 25% tariff imposed in September on those imported goods but postpones steeper increases that were set to take effect Jan. 1. For reference, the now-delayed hikes would have raised tariffs to 30% on upholstered furniture.

You can find the White House Fact Sheet here.

Read More...