David Spooner

On November 6, 2017, students in FASH455 (Global Apparel and Textile Trade and Sourcing) had an exciting live discussion on the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with David Spooner, former U.S. Chief Textile Negotiator and Assistant Secretary of Commerce. As Chief Textile Negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative Office (USTR), Mr. Spooner was a principal negotiator for free trade agreements with Central America, Singapore, Australia, Chile, Panama, Bahrain, Colombia, and Peru, principally negotiating the apparel and textile chapter, rules of origin and safeguard measures. In the Commerce Department, Mr. Spooner led U.S. Government enforcement of trade remedy laws, principally the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy laws.

During the event, Mr. Spooner shared his insightful views about why the Trump Administration proposes to renegotiate the 23-year-old NAFTA, apparel sourcing from the Western-Hemisphere, the economic and political factors behind the textile rules of origin debate as well as the business implications for the proposed elimination of the textile tariff preference level (TPL) from NAFTA. During the Q&A session, students also asked questions about the exceptions to the “yarn-forward” rules of origin, Trump Administration’s trade policy agenda and the potential U.S.-China trade disputes.