Helping Rural Manufacturers Adjust to New Trade Rules: Developing State Strategies for the Rural Apparel Industry

摘要

During the 1990's, apparel industry adjustment to foreign competition and technological change will likely accelerate as the new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the recently concluded General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) significantly expand foreign access to the U.S. apparel industry market. To better cope with this adjustment, a State may wish to form 'apparel action teams' to review State development options vis a vis the apparel industry. The report discusses 12 key questions a State might usefully address in assembling such a team and defining the team's agenda. The 'action team' approach suggested here should be widely applicable for use in many States' key manufacturing sectors.