Discussing trade policy with Bill Jackson, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles.

The Modern Cotton Story

We have an important podcast this week as we host a discussion about government trade policy with Bill Jackson, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Textiles . He has worked in government for many years, and is a leading expert of textile trade policy having worked on agreements such as the USMCA (the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), the successor to NAFTA, and AGOA (the African Growth & Opportunity Act). Mr. Jackson has also worked at the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. During our fascinating discussion with Mr. Jackson, we covered a range of policy issues including the functioning of the USMCA, the importance of rules of origin in support of such agreements, and government policy regarding forced labor. Further, we discussed government policy regarding supply chain and port bottlenecks that have plagued the apparel industry since the outbreak of Covid-19. We also discussed near-shoring, and the prospects for the textile and apparel industries in the future. Hosted by Jennifer Crumpler, Fiber Development Manager and Manager of the e3 Sustainable Cotton Program from BASF, and interviewed by industry consultant Bob Antoshak.