NILES, ILL.—The Mitchell Group’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ann Brunett, has sparked national discussion with her recently published opinion piece in The Washington Post and on CNN. In it, she calls out the federal government’s tariff policy and its disregard for the American textile industry.
In response to Secretary Scott Bessent’s comments during an April 29 White House press conference in which he stated the administration is not interested in a “booming textile industry” and referred to manufacturing jobs in textiles as “jobs of the past,”
Brunett offers a powerful counterpoint from the industry’s front lines.
Brunett’s editorial highlights the real consequences of inconsistent trade policy. She notes that while the administration pushes for “precision manufacturing,” it simultaneously imposes reciprocal tariffs on textile imports ranging from 10 percent to as high as 145 percent, even when those textiles are not produced in the U.S.
Materials Do Not Exist Domestically
“My company, Mitchell Fabrics, has sourced coated fabrics from Asia—primarily China—for decades,” Brunett wrote. “Not because we wanted to offshore, but because these materials and technologies simply do not exist domestically. For certain high-performance faux leather products, particularly in the healthcare, hospitality, and contract furniture sectors, Chinese suppliers remain unmatched in both quality and value.”
Brunett calls attention to the years of proprietary research and development that have gone into establishing these supply chains, and the lack of viable alternatives in the U.S. “If I’m interpreting Secretary Bessent’s message correctly,” she added, “the textile industry is being penalized for going offshore to manufacture products that our country has no interest in producing domestically.”
She urges policymakers to reconsider the one-size-fits-all approach to tariffs, especially as it affects small and mid-sized businesses: “If the administration doesn’t care to bring certain types of manufacturing back to the U.S., then it should allow businesses like mine to import those goods without the crippling burden of tariffs.”
Brunett’s commentary is poised to prompt reactions across the manufacturing and policy sectors, continuing the conversation on how trade policy should balance economic vision with the reality of successful American business practices.
Learn more about The Mitchell Group at mitchellfauxleathers.com.
