Textiles

The word textile originally referred only to fabrics made by weaving yarn on a loom. Today, the textile industry includes knitted goods, braids, and other fabrics that are made from fibers, yarns, and other materials. Textiles may be made from natural products, such as cotton, linen, wool, and mohair, or from synthetic materials, such as polyester, nylon, and rayon.

People began weaving the four basic natural fibers—cotton, linen, wool, and silk—into cloth as early as the Stone Age. Pieces of woven cloth dating from about 4000 B.C. have been discovered in Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East.

For a long time, making cloth was a time-consuming task because everything had to be done by hand. When the Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century, textile manufacturing was one of the first industries affected by the development of the new machines. The machines used to produce textiles saved time and dramatically cut the cost of making clothing.

Prior to the late 1700s, the United States manufactured almost no cloth; most was imported from England. The textile industry was so important to England that English officials refused to allow either the drawings of textile machines or the mechanics who operated the machines to leave the country. In 1789, however, an English textile mechanic named Samuel Slater disguised himself as a farmer and sailed to the United States. He carried the details of the machinery in his head. In 1793, Slater opened a spinning mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It was the first successful automated yarn-spinning business in the United States.

Alexander Hamilton also felt that the United States should produce its own textiles rather than relying solely on imports from England, so following the American Revolution he helped establish a mill town in Paterson, New Jersey. The start-up company—National Manufactory—ultimately failed and went out of business in 1796. American textile businesses continued to appear, including the Boston Manufacturing Company in 1814 by James Cabot Lowell, Patrick Tracy Jackson, and Nathan Appleton in Waltham, Massachusetts.

The first manufactured fibers were developed near the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, manufactured fibers have improved the function and versatility of textiles. For example, new fibers and finishes have made clothes less costly. Durable, soil-resistant synthetic carpets cover the floors of homes, schools, offices, and hospitals. The automotive industry uses these and other fibers in seat belts, upholstery, and the reinforcement of tires, belts, and hoses. The textile industry is also a major supplier to the U.S. military, according to the National Council of Textile Organizations. The industry provides soldiers with everything from uniforms to high-tech protective clothing, and supplies defense contractors with industrial fabrics that are essential to operating key pieces of military equipment. The U.S. textile industry supplies more than 8,000 different textile products to the U.S. military.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which took effect on January 1, 1994, and the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) of the World Trade Organization (which went into effect on January 1, 1995) opened export markets for textiles produced in the United States, but at the expense of American jobs, particularly low-skill, low-wage jobs. Some positive effects of NAFTA included easier imports to Canada and Mexico and retention of high-tech, computer-oriented, and science-related jobs in the United States, though it is not clear that this successfully balanced out the massive job loss. The ATC was terminated in January 2005. NAFTA was terminated in June 2020, and was replaced the next month by the United Sates-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The Office of the United States Trade Representative says that the USMCA is a "mutually beneficial win for North American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses. The Agreement creates more balanced, reciprocal trade supporting high-paying jobs for Americans and grows the North American economy." The USMCA's long-term benefits and drawbacks are yet to be determined.

Fierce competition from overseas manufacturers has forced American textile companies to develop new technologies and processing methods. Computers, robotics, and the use of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized the industry, speeding up such processes as knitting, weaving, and garment marking and cutting. "Advanced cutting machines are now at the forefront, ensuring precise and accurate fabric cuts," according to Fibre2Fashion (https://www.fibre2fashion.com), a business-to-business web platform. "This precision not only reduces wastage but also conserves time. Robotic arms and advanced cutters, capable of slicing through multiple fabric layers simultaneously, have accelerated garment production rates." The use of AI allows manufacturers to produce garments with higher sale probabilities, improve the efficiency of production workflows, and reduce waste, among other benefits.