ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the interrelationship between the textile mill sector and apparel sector in the United States. The textile and apparel sectors symbolized the early stages of industrialization for countries in western Europe when they were developing countries then and still remain of major importance today. The textile mill and apparel sectors have experienced rapid falls in their relative shares of the total value of manufacturing output and employment reductions over the last several decades. International trade in textile and apparel products has been subject to a comprehensive set of regulations and persistent protection. According to Cline, a new generation of technology emerged for spinning, fabric weaving, and knitting in the textile production process in the 1970s. Technological change in the US textile mill sector has the effect of producing large layoffs and changing the structure of the textile labor force.
