How Trump's trade war is supercharging fast fashion industry

Tariffs did not halt ultra-fast fashion. They just rerouted production to countries with lower tariffs and even lower labour costs

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

When US President Donald Trump introduced sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports the goal was to bring manufacturing back to American soil and protect local jobs.

However, this process of re-shoring is complex and requires years of investment and planning, far too slow for the world of ultra-fast fashion, where brands are used to reacting in weeks, not years. Many clothing companies started to move production out of China during Trump's first term. They relocated to countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia when the initial China-specific tariffs hit.

This trend accelerated with the newer “reciprocal” tariffs. Instead of re-shoring production, many fashion brands are simply sourcing from which-ever country offers the lowest total cost after tariffs. As a result, ultra-fast fashion machine adapted quickly and became even more exploitative.

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