Abominable Tariffs #5: Printing Technology

 

Fools' Square by Jeanne Arnieri

The whole tariff debacle grows more confusing by the day. 

A federal appeals court late Friday held that the current president does not have the authority to impose taxes on imports. Rather that is Congress's authority. 

"The ruling is a major setback for the White House and it threatens to stall much of [the] second-term agenda," according to reporters Jacob Bogage & Emily Davies. Well, we shall see, but no matter what happens tariffs or import taxes are not going to bring back the American fine cotton printing industry.

In the last post we looked at agricultural reasons the U.S. no longer produces fine Sea Island cotton here. In this final post on tariffs we'll look at manufacturing.

King McKinley and his tariffs

Some economists believe tariff taxes on imported goods encourage domestic manufacturing. These "Protectionists" tell us that less international trade is better for American business. Here's reason #2 why we cannot produce quality cotton prints in the United States.

Dark shading indicates a nation taxed by American tariffs in August, 2025

John Maynard Keynes irritating a lorry driver

Another belief system advocates Keynesian economics, "unfettered free trade."

As President Harry Truman once said...

On one hand and then on the other....

Eight Hands Around by Jeanne Arnieri

It's a philosophical difference.

If Truman had 8 economists he'd probably have 8 opinions as we do today.

So how will the 2025 tariffs benefit cotton production in the American industrial system?

Here's information about printing technology and the slim chances of its return to American borders.

Empty Textile Mills

We abandoned our American textile technology in the last quarter of the 20th century. I wrote regularly for Quilters Newsletter back then and publisher Bonnie Leman asked me to do a story on why the U.S. quilt fabric mills like Cranston were closing. I phoned people at mills north and south, talking to the public relations office or sometimes, it seems, the last person in the building still answering the telephone.

The interviews indicated that American infrastructure and machinery for roller printing cotton could not compete with new technology that Asian nations were developing. Japan, South Korea, etc. saw the future---computerized screen printing. Their governments subsidized what would become a pillar of their economies. 

Roller printing once done in those obsolete American mills is long gone.

 Most of the fabric you buy today is screen-printed in digitized production lines.

Forty years ago enterprising nations began building factories and subsidizing the development of the new, computerized screen technology that replaced old roller printing machinery. They realized that profit from fabric production was beneficial to their national interests and worth the investment.

This was in the 1980s as I recall. Conservative American economists reversing the hated "Heavy Hand of Government" were opposed to any similar federal subsidies for our textile printing industry. If industry could not make it on their own let them quit. Which they did.

The lack of support snowballed....

Alma Carrigan was one of the last employees to

work in the Chicopee Mills cotton spinning room in 1975

before the New Hampshire mill closed.

 Did we ever publish a Quilters Newsletter story on the mill closings? I don't recall but I'd guess we decided it was too depressing and too political for an upbeat quilt magazine.

Some surviving mill buildings have been re-purposed as housing,

a good use for our architectural heritage, 

but not one that will bring back American textile production.

As things stand today: We are just going to have to pay more for our fine cotton prints. 

Founder Benjamin Franklin by David Martin

As Franklin wrote in 1789: 

"Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." 

As things stand this weekend

1912 Puck

Food prices go up with tariffs too (See Mexico above.)

Puck Magazine had a lot to say.

The 20th & last pieced block for the

"Tariffs & Troubles" sampler.

Jeanne Arnieri's top...No templates.

Twelve of the 20 blocks.

See the first four posts on import taxes and quilters' cotton:

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs1-free-trade.html

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs2-civil-war.html

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs-3-de-minimus-import.html

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs4-domestic-cotton_0520044382.html

Abominable Tariffs:#4: Domestic Cotton

Cotton Reels by Jeanne Arnieri

Tariffs or Import Taxes are believed by some economists to encourage domestic manufacture. Whether that is a good or practical idea depends on the trade. We are interested in cotton prints.

Before you have prints you have cotton yardage. In the 1878 ad above you can see that plain "Sea Island" yardage was more expensive than "Quilt Lining." Sea Island cotton meant fine cotton. 

We do not print cottons in the United States. Naive and/or gullible fabric customers may think taxes on cotton yardage from Japan, Korea, India and other Asian nations will return U.S.-produced cottons to our quilt shops. Below and next post: Two major reasons why that will not happen:

1) Domestic production for quiltmaking stashes and garments would mean the cotton is grown in the U.S. One has to understand the agricultural needs of the fussy cotton plant to know why that will not happen. 

Vinay Shekhar's slide showing types of cotton and their quality----

measured by the length of the "staple."

Historically, problems began with the boll weevil.

We used to grow quite fine cotton (long staple) in the Sea Islands off the Carolinas & other parts of the Lowland South but this hardy insect upended those economics in the early 20th century.

1914 advice for cotton farmers

With strong insecticides you can kill the weevils that destroy the cotton but it's not a healthy prospect for the humans and animals in the area. Rather than poison the neighbors and their dogs the American cotton industry just gave up on fine cotton agriculture over 100 years ago. Southern Asia does not have the weevil problem and they have taken over the finer cotton production.

Employees of the Coats Cotton Knitting Mill, Lake City, Florida,

Early-20th-Century

Teddy Pruett who lives in North Florida discovered that cotton mills in her area once produced cotton yarn for knitting. "When the boll weevil wiped out cotton crops throughout the south, we were out of business. This area produced cotton all through my growing up years, but thousands of acres of cotton in the fifties and sixties is all gone now."

She adds: "It’s my understanding that the weevil eradication programs have been extremely successful. I have read some articles from University of Florida and it would appear there’s really nothing to keep us from growing cotton."

After a century we have vanquished the weevil. So why do we not grow fine cotton?

A recent harvester from John Deere

Virginia Berger found an answer. Sea Island cotton, the fine stuff, requires some TLC that machine harvesting cannot provide. Skilled farmworkers in Asia harvest fine cotton by hand, carefully pulling the bolls from the plants.
https://knowingfabric.com/what-is-sea-island-cotton-fabric/

India

Americans do not want those kind of jobs. When I worked at a Chicago hospital many years ago my friends used to tell me about their teen-age years picking cotton in Arkansas. They were happier in Chicago---much happier.

                                    Cotton Reels by Jeanne Arnieri

Cotton, once a principal foundation of the U.S. economy and a major excuse for slavery, remains a very useful commodity worldwide and an important export in our international trade. But not fine cotton.

1939 article on California Cotton

The U.S produced 14.4 million bales of cotton last year and exported a good deal of it. Some goes for clothing but other industrial uses include cottonseed oil, tires & furniture. We also see sturdy cottons in items such as canvas cotton bags - a good use for American-grown cotton===bags printed and stitched overseas.

Even if we developed modern, efficient American technology for printing on cotton yardage we would still be importing the goods. Those who tell us we should return to raising high-quality cotton know very little about the cotton industry.

Machine-stitched reverse-applique quilt from 1908 of short staple cotton,

 coarse fabric not viable for fine sewing

See previous posts on import taxes and quilting fabric:

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs1-free-trade.html

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs2-civil-war.html

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs-3-de-minimus-import.html

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs4-domestic-cotton_0520044382.html

Abominable Tariffs #3: The De Minimis Import Tax Exemption

 

Art Square by Jeanne Arnieri

The De Minimis Tariff Exemption expires soon.

 The De Minimis Exemption!?!?

Hard to understand....

... but it will affect you IF

you sell your artwork or goods across international borders or buy

 artwork or goods from other countries.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ExcellQuilts

Last month you might have decided to buy a small quilted piece from an Etsy artist like Kayleigh Excell of Clevedon, United Kingdom. Here's one of her landscapes listed then for $451. Being under $800 your purchase would have qualified for the "Under $800 Exemption (de minimis) and you would have paid no tariff tax on the piece of art and Kayleigh wouldn't have had to bother with tax forms.

Seems practical.

That exemption benefitting artists, small businesses and the customers who supported them and enjoyed their work ends on August 29th. International trade at this small level will now be more complicated and expensive.

Mandy Patullo lives in Northern England. Her lovely pieces go for about $100.

https://mandypattullo.bigcartel.com/

Recent note from British pattern company to US residents:

"The United States administration is suspending the trade threshold below which US customers would be exempt from customs duties on imported goods. What this is looking to mean is that, in the next 6 months, if you buy a physical sewing pattern or book from us that requires shipping, you may be charged an additional $80. 

Obviously, this is the last thing we want for our lovely customers across the pond! Not to mention the impact it is going to have upon us as a small business…. If you've been thinking about ordering any printed sewing patterns from us, we would highly recommend you place your order in the next few days to avoid this charge."

UPDATE: A DAY LATER

Knowing little about international shipping I was rather shocked to see that our international trading partners have suspended shipping of any kind of package to the United States in anticipation of the suspension of the de Minimis exemption. No more fabric or patterns being sold to US customers. I didn't see this coming---but then again I don't make US trade policy. Didn't anybody see this coming?

-----

Michelle in the comments asks: 
"I've received quite a few emails from British designers who have said they will no longer be shipping to the U.S. I'm wondering if there might be a loophole for pdf patterns? I haven't found an answer for that. Can you share if you do?"

I sell my patterns as PDFs on Etsy (US Postal Service too unreliable for actual paper shipping.) I looked up Etsy's policies on the new import taxes and the sentences that apply:

"Tariffs apply to physical items, so digital listings are not subject to additional tariffs. Note that other taxes may apply."

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/1355662653395

Note: "Other taxes may apply"

UPDATE: 5 Days Later

Import taxes will vary by country with the exemption suspended tomorrow.

Packages from countries taxed at 15% will be charged $80 extra.

Those taxed at 16-25% = $160 extra

Those taxed at 25% or more = $200 extra

Jeanne Arnieri has made a top with 12 of the projected 20 Tariffs & Troubles blocks---No Template Cutting is her rule this week.

Prior Posts on Import Taxes

Free Trade by Jeanne Arnieri

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs1-free-trade.html

Fort Sumter by Jeanne Arnieri

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2025/08/abominable-tariffs2-civil-war.html