There are warning signs that President-elect Donald Trump's second term could be more disruptive to the fashion supply chain than his first.

We all know the countdown is on for Trump’s return to office (20 January if you’ve managed to miss it), and he’s already taking more than his fair share of global headlines.

In just one week the news was awash with his threat to grab Greenland from Denmark by financial or even military means for “national security” reasons and the “unconditional discharge” verdict from his hush money court trial.

In a turn of events for apparel, there were reports of Trump’s advisors planning a new streamlined tariff plan that would potentially see duties being applied to selective sectors deemed vital for national or economic security as opposed to all industries.

Crucially, there was no mention of apparel being on the new selective list  — which for a few hours at least  — made it seem like the sector could avoid being in the immediate firing line.

However, in typical Trump fashion he quickly turned to his social media platform Truth Social to condemn the reports that had quoted his aides as sources. In fact, he went as far as to dub The Washington Post’s original article as “fake news”.

The president and CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) Steve Lamar reminded Just Style: “There is still little clarity about exactly how the incoming Administration will announce its new tariff policies”.

First Name

Last Name

Company Name

Job title *

Phone number *

UK   USA   Afghanistan   Åland Islands   Albania   Algeria   American Samoa   Andorra   Angola   Anguilla   Antarctica   Antigua and Barbuda   Argentina   Armenia   Aruba   Australia   Austria   Azerbaijan   Bahamas   Bahrain   Bangladesh   Barbados   Belarus   Belgium   Belize   Benin   Bermuda   Bhutan   Bolivia   Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba   Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana   Bouvet Island   Brazil   British Indian Ocean Territory   Brunei Darussalam   Bulgaria   Burkina Faso   Burundi   Cambodia   Cameroon   Canada   Cape Verde   Cayman Islands   Central African Republic Chad   Chile   China   Christmas Island   Cocos Islands   Colombia   Comoros   Congo   Democratic Republic of the Congo   Cook Islands   Costa Rica   Côte d"Ivoire   Croatia   Cuba   Curaçao   Cyprus   Czech Republic   Denmark   Djibouti   Dominica   Dominican Republic   Ecuador   Egypt   El Salvador   Equatorial Guinea   Eritrea   Estonia   Ethiopia   Falkland Islands   Faroe Islands   Fiji   Finland   France   French Guiana   French Polynesia   French Southern Territories Gabon   Gambia   Georgia   Germany   Ghana   Gibraltar   Greece   Greenland   Grenada   Guadeloupe   Guam   Guatemala   Guernsey   Guinea   Guinea-Bissau   Guyana   Haiti   Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See   Honduras   Hong Kong   Hungary   Iceland   India   Indonesia   Iran   Iraq   Ireland   Isle of Man   Israel   Italy   Jamaica   Japan   Jersey   Jordan   Kazakhstan   Kenya   Kiribati   North Korea   South Korea   Kuwait   Kyrgyzstan   Lao   Latvia   Lebanon   Lesotho   Liberia   Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein   Lithuania   Luxembourg   Macao   Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of   Madagascar   Malawi   Malaysia   Maldives   Mali   Malta   Marshall Islands   Martinique   Mauritania   Mauritius   Mayotte   Mexico   Micronesia   Moldova   Monaco   Mongolia   Montenegro   Montserrat   Morocco   Mozambique   Myanmar   Namibia   Nauru   Nepal   Netherlands   New Caledonia   New Zealand   Nicaragua   Niger   Nigeria   Niue   Norfolk Island   Northern Mariana Islands Norway   Oman   Pakistan   Palau   Palestinian Territory   Panama   Papua New Guinea   Paraguay   Peru   Philippines   Pitcairn   Poland   Portugal   Puerto Rico   Qatar   Réunion   Romania   Russian Federation   Rwanda   Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha   Saint Kitts and Nevis   Saint Lucia   Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa   San Marino   Sao Tome and Principe   Saudi Arabia   Senegal   Serbia   Seychelles   Sierra Leone   Singapore   Slovakia   Slovenia   Solomon Islands   Somalia   South Africa   South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands   Spain   Sri Lanka   Sudan   Suriname   Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland   Sweden   Switzerland   Syrian Arab Republic   Taiwan   Tajikistan   Tanzania   Thailand   Timor-Leste   Togo   Tokelau   Tonga   Trinidad and Tobago   Tunisia   Turkey   Turkmenistan   Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu   Uganda   Ukraine   United Arab Emirates   US Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay   Uzbekistan   Vanuatu   Venezuela   Vietnam   British Virgin Islands US Virgin Islands   Wallis and Futuna   Western Sahara   Yemen   Zambia   Zimbabwe   Kosovo  

Industry *   Academia & Education   Aerospace, Defense & Security   Agriculture   Asset Management   Automotive   Banking & Payments   Chemicals   Construction   Consumer   Foodservice   Government, trade bodies and NGOs   Health & Fitness   Hospitals & Healthcare HR, Staffing & Recruitment   Insurance   Investment Banking   Legal Services   Management Consulting   Marketing & Advertising Media & Publishing   Medical Devices   Mining   Oil & Gas   Packaging   Pharmaceuticals   Power & Utilities   Private Equity   Real Estate   Retail   Sport   Technology   Telecom   Transportation & Logistics   Travel, Tourism & Hospitality   Venture Capital  

Tick here to opt out of curated industry news, reports, and event updates from Just Style.  

Submit and download

Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

While, United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA)’s president Julie Hughes added: “No one likes uncertainty but it is the reality for at least the next few weeks”.

And it’s not just Trump’s approach to tariffs that will impact the global apparel industry. We will all be watching closely to see how he plans to tackle supply chain challenges around the world.

The Panama Canal’s high shipping fees, which Trump calls “ridiculous” as well as the ongoing supply chain issues in the region appear to be top of his hitlist, but of course this could change.

He warned on his social media platform that he will “demand” the Panama Canal be returned to the US if the country cannot ensure the “secure, efficient and reliable operation of the channel”.

An industry expert told Just Style it is just “threats” but suggested he could “exert pressure on Panama to reduce shipping and transit costs”.

Why apparel should embrace the certainty of Trump’s unpredictability

So, how can the global apparel sector prepare for the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s 2.0 presidency?

The fashion supply chain is adept at tackling short- and long-term disruptions. The global pandemic was a real lesson in navigating uncertainty and the fashion industry managed to show its resilience during those difficult times.

Trump is predictably unpredictable, which although frustrating, does mean sourcing executives can plot out how to navigate the most extreme potential impacts to the supply chain.

Similarly, he has been in power before, which arguably makes it easier to predict what these most extreme actions could be.

His unfiltered stream of consciousness will continue to spark controversy, but again this is another certainty the sector can weave into its supply chain plans.

Taking a step back from national and international news could be a wise move as mainstream publications will continue to generate scaremongering headlines out of his outrageous comments.

Instead, fashion sourcing executives should keep a much closer eye on the Trump administration’s actions as well as follow Just Style’s in-depth analysis of the direct impacts to the fashion supply chain.

Trump will be in power for four years – that is another certainty for the sector to work with – and thanks to the 22nd Amendment to the US constitution he cannot run for president for a third term.

Meanwhile, the impacts of climate change, the importance of having key global supply chain partnerships, understanding advances in AI and improving ESG are all cross-political and cross-border issues that will be here for many years to come.

By Just Style