Textiles Spotlight

Yarn (Staple and Filament): Yarn manufacturing is an essential step that enables fibers to be made into fabric by weaving, knitting, or other fabric-forming methods. Due to competitive energy costs, a productive workforce, and the United States' location in the Western Hemisphere, the yarn subsector is strong and globally competitive. In 2018, U.S. exports of yarn totaled nearly $4.5 billion, of which 60 percent went to nations in North and Central America. 

Nonwovens: The end-use markets for nonwovens are classified as either disposable or durables. Disposables are made up of product categories such as absorbent hygiene, wipes, filtration, medical and surgical and protective apparel, while durables are comprised of geosynthetics, home and office furnishings, transportation, and building construction. Nonwovens are being used to make products lighter, more efficient, and cost effective. More and more of these lighter and longer-lasting nonwovens are being introduced into a wide variety of fields. 
 
Specialty and Industrial Fabrics: Specialty and industrial fabrics serve an array of markets, from awnings to automotive airbags. As the U.S. specialty fabric business has continued to grow, some areas are seeing rapid advancement. Automotive textiles represent the most valuable market for industrial textiles in the world. These materials cover a broad range of applications including upholstery and seating, floor covering and trunk liners, as well as safety belts, airbags, thermal and sound insulators, filters, hoses, tires and a variety of textile-reinforced flexible and hard composites. 
 
Medical Textiles: Medical textiles are one of the most important, continuously expanding and growing fields in technical textiles. The medical textile industry has been improving existing products and creating new ones with new materials and innovative designs. Some of these new products are being designed for less invasive surgical procedures, infection control, and accelerated healing. 
 
Protective Apparel: The global industrial protective apparel market was estimated at $9 billion in 2018 and is expected to register a compound annual growth rate of 14 percent between 2019 and 2025. The United States has a large and growing presence in this subsector as the demand for protective apparel is expected to grow thanks to safety standards in the manufacturing, chemical, oil and gas, and construction sectors. 

Fashion Apparel: The U.S. fashion apparel market is projected to reach nearly $400 billion by 2025. The industry is represented by manufacturers, contractors, brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers. The fashion apparel industry keeps pace with global market changes by continually adapting to customer trends and new technology.