About the Session
The session was part of the 2026 Sourcing Journal Fall Summit held in New York City on September 29, 2026. The session examined the opportunities and challenges of expanding U.S. apparel sourcing in the Western Hemisphere, particularly amid rapidly changing U.S. trade policy, tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty, and the evolving role of free trade agreements. The discussion explored whether policies such as the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the “yarn-forward” rules of origin facilitate or constrain regional sourcing, as well as practical barriers, including labor costs, supply-chain capacity, product capabilities, and scalability in Central America, especially among members of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). The panel also exchanged views regarding the potential and new approaches to translating duty-free trade benefits into greater U.S. apparel sourcing from the Americas.
Panel
- Maristella Iacobello, Vice President of global customs and trade governance, PVH Corp
- Jason Kra, President, Li and Fung
- Sheng Lu, Professor and Graduate Director, Fashion and Apparel Studies, University of Delaware
- Kate Nishimura, Deputy Editor, Sourcing Journal
Disclaimer: The views expressed during the discussion are those of the panelists and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of their employers or any affiliated organizations.
