ARLINGTON, Va. — April 2, 2012 — The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) today released the following statement regarding the publication of the 2012 National Trade Estimate Report. The NTE Report is an annual review coordinated by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) of foreign trade barriers faced by U.S. companies.

“The U.S. apparel and footwear industry’s ability to sustain four million U.S. jobs while finding opportunities to create more is dependent upon open markets all around the world,” said AAFA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “As with other industries noted in today’s report, the U.S. apparel and footwear industry continues to be face challenges in the global marketplace.”

“U.S. apparel and footwear manufacturers often face high tariffs and other trade restrictions, whether exporting from the United States or from other countries,” Burke said.

“Argentina, Brazil and other key markets continue targeting our industry with damaging and costly policies that erode the competitiveness of U.S. companies and undermine their ability to employ U.S. workers.”

“We will continue our work with the Obama Administration, Congress, and our international trade partners to further eliminate global barriers to trade,” said Burke. “Real progress can only be achieved by seeking new market openings, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, achieving greater collaboration and harmonization of regulations and standards, and aggressively combating intellectual property theft.”