War: does it effect u.s. textile and apparel trade?

Military conflicts have historically boosted the U.S. textile and apparel industries. Beginning with the War of 1812, which helped stimulate the infant domestic industry, it has been noted that military conflicts benefit the textile and apparel industries as demand is created in support of efforts of the armed services. The purpose of this chapter was to examine the impact of select military conflicts following World War II and implementation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on bilateral textile and apparel trade flows. Analyses revealed that while countries involved in conflicts with the United States tended to be minor suppliers of textiles and apparel to the U.S. market, there were notable trends in levels of trade prior to, during, and following military conflicts. Presented at 14th International Conference, San Antonio, Texas, May 2004.