A bipartisan group of lawmakers is stepping up to protect an American industry that may not always come to mind when we think about agriculture, but one that is deeply tied to the fortunes of our nation’s farmers and cotton growers.
Congressional Textile Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. David Rouzer (R-NC-07) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), joined by fourteen of their colleagues, have sent a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security urging stronger customs enforcement to shield the American textile industry from fraudulent trade practices and illegal imports.
The stakes for the country are significant. The United States is the second largest global exporter of textile products and a leading exporter of fiber and apparel, contributing more than $65 billion to the economy each year. The industry also pulls real weight when it comes to federal revenue. In Fiscal Year 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported collecting $13.2 billion in textile-related duties, which accounted for roughly 17 percent of all duties collected.
At the heart of the lawmakers’ concern is a growing problem with foreign textile producers, particularly in China and Vietnam, finding ways around U.S. customs laws and tariff obligations. The letter points to the practice of routing textile products through countries that hold free trade agreements with the United States, a tactic that allows bad actors to dodge what they rightfully owe. The result, the lawmakers say, is distorted competition, an unfair disadvantage for American manufacturers, a weakened domestic industry, and lost revenue that is owed under U.S. trade law.
For Rouzer, this is a hometown issue. North Carolina has long been a leader in textile manufacturing, and he made clear that he believes it is time for the cheating to stop.
“North Carolina has remained a top textile manufacturer even with foreign actors and organized crime undermining our great industry when they illegally circumvent our customs process. It’s time for that to end,” said Congressman Rouzer. “With Secretary Mullin’s leadership, enforcement will be strengthened to protect North Carolina’s textile industry by punishing and blacklisting bad actors.”
Espaillat echoed that call, framing the effort as a matter of protecting hardworking Americans and taxpayer dollars alike.
“As a co-chair of the Textile Caucus, we are calling on DHS Secretary Mullin to develop a comprehensive program to safeguard the interests of American textile industry workers from unscrupulous practices that threaten billions of dollars from American taxpayers,” said Rep. Espaillat. “Our priority is ensuring a strong domestic supply and holding bad actors accountable for practices that violate our trade laws and break the rules.”
The letter asks Secretary Mullin to strengthen enforcement of existing trade laws, improve the detection of customs fraud, and take firmer action against repeat offenders. For the agricultural community, the connection is direct and important. Protecting the textile industry also supports domestic cotton growers, textile manufacturers, and the broader agricultural economy that depends on a fair and honest marketplace.
Rep. Rouzer has served as co-chair of the Congressional Textile Caucus since 2025 and has been a member of the House Committee on Agriculture since arriving in Congress in 2015, giving him a firsthand understanding of how trade enforcement ripples back to the farm gate.
Readers can find the full text of the bipartisan letter on Congressman David Rouzer’s official House website rouzer.house.gov.