Can U.S. Clothing Manufacturing Make a Comeback? A Look at Tariffs, Transformation, and One Expert's Take

MASA - Make American Stylish Again!

Being in the U.S. clothing manufacturing business for most of my life, I have seen the once flourishing industry be destroyed with the foreign outsourcing imposed by NAFTA. Now that Trump is encouraging all manufacturing to return, it is interesting to see how this return manifests.

The global fashion industry is in the midst of a dramatic reshuffling, driven in large part by aggressive tariffs introduced under the Trump administration in 2025. Among the hardest hit sectors is ready-made clothing. With tariffs on Chinese apparel imports now averaging nearly 70%—and a universal 10% baseline applied to dozens of other nations—importing garments into the U.S. has become significantly more expensive. For decades, the US clothing manufacturing industry has declined in the face of cheap overseas labor and globalized supply chains. But now, a growing question looms: Could tariffs actually bring manufacturing back home to America?

From a strictly economic and structural standpoint, the answer is complicated. While tariffs increase the cost of imported goods and theoretically make domestic production more competitive, major roadblocks persist. The U.S. has high labor costs, a limited skilled sewing workforce, and insufficient infrastructure for full-scale production. Most brands are responding by diversifying their offshore sourcing—shifting from China to countries like Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Honduras—rather than returning to American soil.

Even so, there are glimmers of hope and change. Small-batch, niche manufacturing is growing, particularly in high-end, patriotic, or sustainability-focused sectors. Automation is also making inroads: robotic sewing, 3D knitting, and AI-driven inventory prediction are all helping to reduce the labor burden and shorten production cycles. But these changes are unlikely to generate mass employment or revive the golden age of American garment factories—at least not without a deeper transformation.

And yet, to say U.S. clothing manufacturing can’t come back ignores history—and possibility. Carol Serpa-Kroegel, a seasoned clothing designer and former professor of fashion design, offers a powerful firsthand perspective rooted in experience:

"I remember vividly the first job I got after earning my Bachelors in Textiles and Clothing. It was at Cliftex Corporation in New Bedford, Mass., the town I grew up in. Located in a massive 10-story brick building stretching the length of several city blocks, it was a high-end men’s suit jacket facility in the 1980s.

Inside were rows of industrial sewing machines as far as the eye could see. Women worked with the speed and precision of robots, handling 4-foot-high piles of garments. Men in chain-linked gloves cut stacked layers of fabric using one-foot-high electric blades. It was a city within a city—a manufacturing ecosystem."

Back then, factories like Cliftex in New Bedford and neighboring Fall River provided stable jobs and economic sustenance. Women earned $10 an hour—good wages for the time—and supported families while their husbands worked in fishing or other industries. These were real jobs, producing tangible goods with skill, speed, and pride.

"People say no matter what Trump does with tariffs, manufacturing won’t come back. I beg to differ. Many of those old factories in Massachusetts still exist. The ones that weren’t turned into apartment buildings sit empty, waiting for new machines and new people. As for the skilled labor shortage? That’s a false barrier. These are trainable jobs that people could step into quickly. It’s not rocket science—it just takes a few months of on-the-job training."

Carol makes a vital point. The conversation around reshoring is often stuck in the idea that the skills no longer exist or that Americans won’t take these jobs. But the industrial sewing workforce was once strong and could be again. With rising tariffs, increasing automation, and growing interest in ethical, local production, the conditions are ripe for a potential reawakening.

That said, serious investment would be required: training programs, machinery, domestic textile mills, and above all, a shift in mindset. If the U.S. wants to reclaim its manufacturing heritage, it must treat clothing production not as a relic of the past but as an adaptable industry worth revitalizing.

So, can US clothing manufacturing return? With enough vision and political will—yes. If done right, it could offer something profoundly valuable: real jobs, real goods, and a real sense of pride in what we make on our own soil.

And as Carol puts it with a smile, perhaps it's time to rally behind a new motto: "MASA — Make America Stylish Again!"