DECEMBER 23, 2005, BOSTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have approved a requirement that strengthens the Berry Amendment, a law requiring that the Department of Defense (DoD) purchase only U.S.-made clothing, textile and individual equipment items. The amendment requires that DoD notify Congress within seven days if contracts are awarded to non-U.S. suppliers.

The amendment was inserted into the 2006 Defense Authorization legislation by Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC) and will affect all clothing, textile and individual equipment items purchased by DoD. The amendment will directly affect the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), DoD’s largest clothing and textile procuring facility which purchased approximately $2.5 billion of clothing, textile and individual equipment items in fiscal year (FY) 2005. The provision also affects purchases by all other DoD activities, regardless of size.

“This amendment strengthens our supply system and ensures that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines have the best equipment available” according to Dan Pezold of Duro Industries, chairman of the National Textile Association’s (NTA) Government Textiles Committee. Representing the U.S. Textile Industry, NTA works closely with DSCP and other DoD customers to ensure that our military services have the best items available in the world.

Karl Spilhaus, President of NTA, praised the amendment saying, “This new requirement to identify non-U.S. suppliers will enable us to follow closely those contracts that have been awarded outside the strict provisions of the Berry Amendment. The Berry Amendment has been in place for over half a century and it serves our country well by ensuring that our warfighters have the best equipment available and a strong supply chain to rely on.”

The National Textile Association is made up of companies that weave, knit, or finish fabrics in the U.S. and the fiber, yarn, and other suppliers to the U.S. textile industry.